New.qq.com – One of the most prestigious online news platforms in China has evaluated SofM as a pioneering figure in shaping the current landscape of the LPL tournament, even though this player has yet to achieve glory in China.
SofM’s high regard among professionals is already well-known, but to delve deeper into why a player who has never achieved collective honors, nor has played for any top-tier teams in the LPL, has become a name seen as “laying the groundwork for a region with over 100 million League of Legends players,” is where the answer lies.
Below is an excerpt about SofM translated:
“In recent years, the playstyle of the LPL has gradually become a unique blueprint at international tournaments. This tournament is home to the most intense competitive elements, and it has not fallen short of the extensive experience of Korean players.
However, if we look back about 4 or 5 years ago, the LPL had to learn from the LCK’s playstyle in hopes of defeating them, which is why we didn’t often see the bold fighting styles we see today.
So what is the cause of this change? What has transformed LPL teams into the most formidable forces in the world? The gameplay revolution we refer to is closely linked to two professional players. And it needs to be emphasized that they are the pioneers in shaping the distinct face of the current LPL.
SofM
Yes, it’s him. Even though you might feel that the jungler from Vietnam has shown signs of decline, it cannot be denied that SofM is one of the most important names, in our view, in helping the LPL break free from the shadow of Koreans and establishing an immense influence on this tournament.
The biggest turning point was SofM’s entry into the LPL in 2016. This was truly a testament to “the right person at the right time,” as the LPL had just finished the 2015 World Championship with a top 8 position, and doubts began to arise about the influence of Koreans here, as Korean imports refused to impose playstyles based on team directions and preferred to do things their own way.
At that time, simply put, a renewal was needed, and the entire tournament had to change direction. Luckily, SofM appeared, dazzling everyone with numerous outstanding performances, and above all, changed the mindset of gameplay in the LPL.
Many might scoff at us and say: “How can the style of a tournament representing an entire country be shaped by an import player?” But our view is that it was precisely because of SofM that the LPL gradually formed a new style of play, with an aggressive jungle invasion approach, seizing advantages fiercely and thoroughly.
SofM may not be the best at everything, but he is the pioneer who initiated that style of play.
The impact of the “jungle raider” on the overall gameplay of the tournament
In 2016, the LPL was not yet a top region. Domestic teams still favored a combination of Korean imports, with all core players being Korean, and even coaching positions were dominated by Korean coaches. Naturally, with this status quo, the LPL was also swept into what is called the “conventional playstyle” according to Korean standards, and control gameplay was a mandatory lesson for any jungler.
If you attempted to seek a breakthrough, you could easily be defeated. In fact, even to this day, the Korean LCK maintains such an image.
SofM had been applying the jungle raid style long before arriving in China, and its effectiveness led many to change their preconceived notions about the standards of a jungler. He once hesitated to ask fans: “Can I still play like this?”
It is not an exaggeration to say that the “SofM effect” is the prototype of the very style that shapes the current LPL; it was an important pioneering step in breaking the mold of the jungler role.
But ultimately, relying solely on SofM cannot change the face of the entire region. After all, the teams, and broadly the entire tournament, still have to assess the effectiveness of that gameplay based on results and titles. The standard “LCK control style” reigned supreme that year (with the 2016 LPL Summer Championship won by EDward Gaming).
Nevertheless, the seeds had been sown, and it just took time to nurture them into robust trees.
MLXG
[…]
If SofM was the one who ignited the flame, then MLXG was the one who kept it burning. Even the former RNG player continued to maintain this through the two seasons following 2016, which were the 7th and 8th seasons of League of Legends. At that time, the jungle of the LPL truly became a fierce battleground of relentless clashes, and the role of the jungler in this tournament had truly become “the tempo setter,” a position that held the key to increasing the pace of the game and creating opportunities to choke the opponent as soon as an advantage was gained.
From there, superstar junglers could take on this role effectively, like Ning and Tian, who rose to become the new kings of the World Championship.
We only list the names of SofM and MLXG in this article because they are the pioneers in igniting the identity of the LPL tournament, where previously there was no clear shaping of style and personality for an entire region.
This transformation could only have been achieved by the two of them. Aside from SofM and MLXG, the current LPL has many junglers with aggressive playstyles, but it is clear that these two exceptional individuals have had the most significant impact.
As a result, stars like TheShy, JackeyLove, Ning, and Tian – players embodying the distinct LPL style, came together in outstanding teams… With pioneering flags and a new generation of players inheriting that essence, the LPL has gradually developed a unique style of play today, unlike anyone else, and all have space to unleash their strengths.
Furthermore, the LPL has also inherited the training methods of the Koreans, and still retains long-standing foreign stars from the LCK, thus this tournament has gathered all the most solid foundations to hold the title of dominance in professional League of Legends.
[…]
Relatively clearly, the above article points out a reality that SofM’s brilliance in the early years with Snake Esports, with his characteristic jungle raiding playstyle and his unbelievably precise “monster timing” skills, forced Chinese teams to seriously reconsider their gameplay.
The Chinese have seen from SofM and MLXG a truth that: The Korean playstyle is not the only path to victory. And it would even be ridiculous if the LPL wanted to defeat the LCK using the same playstyle that their opponents mastered. SofM, along with MLXG, unconsciously painted a new path, a completely new method originating from the deep jungle of Summoner’s Rift: “The opponent’s goal is control, so we simply shatter everything!”