As one of the top tournaments in the League of Legends (LoL) scene, LCK Summer 2023 has garnered special attention compared to some other regional tournaments. The reason is that it features T1 along with Faker – names that guarantee quality and a large viewership. Additionally, this year’s LCK has attracted particular attention as fans are eager to see if T1 can end their dry spell across all competitions.
However, according to many opinions, LCK is gradually losing its allure. Throughout several seasons, the title race has been confined to just 2 – 3 familiar names, including T1, Gen.G, and Dplus KIA (DK). Among these three, one team may not have invested as heavily compared to others in LCK, but what they possess are truly quality players, rich in experience and resilience. Therefore, despite several teams investing heavily, they still have not broken the “triad” of the three mentioned names.
This was further highlighted through the recent comments of Gumayusi and Coach Bengi. Specifically, when asked about the three names worthy of being called “strong teams” in LCK Summer 2023, Coach Bengi was quite cautious and stated that there are three names deserving of such a title, including Gen.G, DK, and Hanwha Life Esports (HLE). However, Marksman Gumayusi was more straightforward, only mentioning DK and Gen.G as the two teams to watch currently.
Gumayusi’s assertion is justified as during the Spring 2023 tournament, although HLE brought in many quality players, they still could not break the dominance of the familiar trio. In fact, it was not Gen.G, but DK that was expected to end T1’s winning streak. As for HLE, their only achievement was one victory in the first round of the group stage before T1 reclaimed both the win and the loss in the return leg.
Currently, LCK Summer 2023 has only been underway for a few days. It is too early to make any conclusions. However, it is certain that all teams are well prepared and the players know exactly what they need to do to lead their teams to victory, especially with names that are considered championship contenders like T1 or Gen.G – the real “giants” of LCK and the world of League of Legends.