GAM Esports’ defeat to Dplus KIA was not unexpected for the League of Legends (LoL) audience. The representatives from VCS simply fell too far behind the skill level of the star-studded lineup from South Korea. Dplus KIA is not an unknown entity either, as they consistently compete on equal footing with names like T1, Gen.G… in their domestic league. Therefore, the loss to DK is completely understandable, allowing the audience from VCS to feel at ease, and the players can hold their heads high upon returning home.
However, it cannot be denied that there were matches where GAM players, in particular, and Team Whales, did not perform well against opponents who were rated similarly or weaker at that time. For example, GAM’s loss in their opening match against LOUD. Or a TW that was full of momentum, even coming back against two strong representatives from the LEC (Team BDS) and PCS (CBTC Flying Oyster) but then faltering against GAM in a weak fashion.
Responding to this issue in the post-match interview with DK, Kiaya frankly stated: “Compared to other regions, it can be said that VCS players are somewhat weak in terms of mentality. Other teams have more effective strategies, but the psychological issue remains significant. There will be times when things do not go well, and the most important thing then is to keep a steady mindset.”
In reality, what Kiaya said is entirely accurate. Mentality has always been a persistent and major issue for VCS players when stepping onto the international stage. Notably, Kati failed to maintain composure at MSI 2023, and even experienced veterans like Levi had their moments of not keeping a “cool head” to make more accurate decisions. Particularly, against teams rated similarly or lower, GAM sometimes played very “tight-fisted,” as seen in their matches against FNC or LLL in the opening round.
Of course, GAM and other VCS teams will have time to prepare. At Worlds 2023, the VCS representatives performed above expectations. But surely, they will need to improve much more because no audience will accept if their results stop at such a level in the coming years.