Perhaps until now and even in the future, VCS fans will never forget the “pain of MSI 2023”. There, not only were they eliminated early in a bitter manner, but GAM Esports also displayed a disappointing performance against even equally matched opponents. Notably, one of GAM’s losses that officially saw the yellow-black team “disappear” from MSI 2023 was against Movistar R7 – a wildcard team from the LLA (Latin America) region.
Therefore, as soon as R7 secured a spot at Worlds 2023, which is the only spot from this region, GAM was again mentioned by the VCS community. Across various forums, content that “reminded” fans of GAM’s loss at MSI 2023 has been popping up. Many viewers even sarcastically remarked at the defending VCS champion: “Perhaps GAM is considering whether to attend Worlds 2023 since their ‘close friend’ R7 has secured a spot.” There are even opinions suggesting that GAM would genuinely have to be concerned if they faced R7 again compared to before.
Of course, teams from wildcard regions always carry unpredictable dangers due to their explosive playstyle and willingness to experiment with unusual, off-meta picks. It’s precisely because of the unique innovation from these smaller regions that R7 was able to defeat GAM, despite being rated significantly lower. In fact, when facing off against Bilibili Gaming or Golden Guardians, they also had some moments that troubled these “big names”.
However, at MSI 2023, GAM could also be seen as somewhat complacent when facing R7. At Worlds 2023, fans are confident that GAM will present a completely new face. Notably, GAM’s current roster can be considered the “Dream Team” of VCS. The players donning the yellow-black jersey are also seasoned veterans, having fought in both the domestic league and international arenas (except Slayder). Therefore, should they face R7 again, GAM can certainly aim for a more favorable outcome, especially since their most important goal remains to advance beyond the Play-In stage.