If we were to name one Vietnamese League of Legends player who has the most influence and reputation in the LoL scene, the name that everyone would definitely think of is SofM. The jungler of Weibo Gaming is the first and only case, up to now, of a player coming from VCS who has made a name for himself in the harshest LoL environment in the world: LPL. In 2020, SofM became the first Vietnamese player to reach the finals of a World Championship.
In LPL, fans regard SofM as a “god,” ranking him alongside names like TheShy and Uzi. Even the currently renowned junglers acknowledge they have learned a lot from SofM’s jungle path, such as Canyon, Tian, and Inspired… The 2019 World Champion Tian is even a “hardcore fan” of SofM, as he is willing to “stand up” to his former teammate with whom he won in Paris to defend his “idol.”
But when it comes to the level of “SofM obsession,” Tian or anyone else must bow down to one person: EGO. The jungler currently wearing the CERBERUS Esports jersey is a “die-hard fan” of SofM, and every now and then, people hear another story about EGO’s “obsession” with his idol. In a recent talk show with commentator Hoàng Luân, coach Sergh – EGO’s former coach at Team Flash, delighted both VCS fans and SofM fans by revealing stories about EGO’s “idol-worship.”
Coach Sergh shared that this story occurred when EGO began to play officially instead of Yijin in the Summer of 2020. Coach Sergh said: “EGO talks to SofM a lot. EGO idolizes SofM immensely. One could consider SofM as EGO’s only teacher, learning everything from him. There was a story where EGO did not wear glasses. However, after seeing SofM wear glasses to compete, he immediately went to buy glasses similar to those of SofM. But after the season ended, he left them at home. Then EGO refused to compete because he wasn’t wearing glasses like SofM.” In addition, Coach Sergh also shared that EGO learned from SofM that chewing gum helps to concentrate while playing. So during practice, this player continuously chewed gum, leading to forgetting to call the team.
Besides sharing memories about EGO’s “obsession with SofM,” Coach Sergh also mentioned that EGO learned from SofM to maintain a relaxed mentality, not fearing any opponent while competing. This is one of the main reasons, alongside EGO’s talent, that has helped this player achieve much success recently.
EGO and his teammates at CES have gone through a very successful VCS Winter 2021. The upcoming Spring 2022 tournament is certainly EGO’s ultimate goal to win the championship, thereby securing a ticket to MSI 2022 and gaining additional opportunities to face his idol on the international LoL stage.