In their final match of LCK Spring 2022 before the Lunar New Year break, Gen.G Esports unexpectedly fell 0-2 to KT Rolster – a team that had a record of 2 wins and 3 losses leading up to this round. While the end of their 5-match winning streak might not be as serious as the issues revealed during this defeat, it certainly raises concerns for Gen.G.
Poor Situational Awareness and Decision Making
Gen.G’s ability to read the game was severely lacking, especially in crucial situations. Looking at Gen.G’s current lineup, it seems that the team operates under a collective call strategy. However, in the recent loss, none of the players from Gen.G recognized that their attempts to contest major objectives were being thoroughly ambushed by KT members. As a result, in both games, Gen.G’s attempts to call for the fourth Dragon fell into a “trap.”
Additionally, Gen.G members’ ability to resolve issues during the match was very poor, exemplified by Peanut being outplayed by Cuzz three times. This is unacceptable in professional play. If you get caught once, it may be a careless mistake, but if it happens three times in the same way, it’s a collective failure.
Previous Wins Were Not Convincing
This is not the first time this season that Gen.G players have encountered many difficulties, and their victories have been extremely hard-fought. While it can be attributed to the fact that Gen.G has nearly a 100% new team, teams like DWG KIA, Nongshim RedForce, and Chovy’s former team – Hanwha Life Esports have faced similar challenges. Gen.G struggled to overcome ShowMaker’s DK as well as HLE. The 3 teams that Gen.G achieved a 2-0 victory over are currently considered the weakest: DRX, Fredit BRION, and Kwangdong Freecs.
As an All-Star lineup for LCK Spring 2022, Gen.G needs to show more. They have the “Golden Backbone” Chovy – who has just been relieved from the burden of “always carrying the team”, and a strong bot duo in Ruler – Lehends. Peanut was the MVP of the LCK Summer 2021 regular season while Doran has always been a quality top laner. But so far, perhaps the most outstanding player in Gen.G’s lineup is… Support Lehends, thanks to his unconventional picks. Otherwise, no one has shown that they can truly be a reliable support for the team.
Chovy – Both a Strength and a Weakness
With the current meta, gameplay is gradually shifting from the top to the bottom of the map. However, in any meta, the mid-lane remains a crucial position. Even Faker has stated that mid-lane is the most important in the current meta. In a match, there are always two phases: the early lane phase and team fights, contesting major objectives in the mid to late game. Currently, Chovy has not excelled in either phase.
According to statistics from Gol.gg, Chovy ranks top 3 among mid-laners with the largest gold differential in the first 15 minutes of the game. He even trails behind the “old man” Faker despite having previously showcased his incredible laning ability. In terms of minion differential and average experience points, Chovy ranks second, still behind ShowMaker. Although he has the highest average minion farm throughout the game, these statistics indicate that Chovy has lost his greatest strength: his laning ability.
When entering team fights, Chovy is too easy to exploit. Almost every team in the LCK understands that if they focus on Chovy, they effectively diminish 50% of HLE’s previous strength and somewhat Gen.G’s current strength. Currently, Chovy does not bear the responsibility of carrying the team, but he remains a key player. KT demonstrated that just by making Chovy “invisible”, the other names become far easier to deal with.
Additionally, Chovy’s performance since returning from the 2021 World Championship has not returned to its peak. He is still talented, one of the four most watched mid-laners in LCK Spring 2022, but he is noticeably less prominent. No longer the “Golden Backbone”, Chovy has faded into the background. Even compared to now, Faker plays a more prominent role in calling the team, macro, and playmaking than Chovy. A prime example being game 3 in the recent match against NS.
Defeat to KT is not a disaster, but if T1 wins against DK in the final match of week 3 of LCK Spring 2022, Gen.G will face immense pressure. Especially in the first week of competition after the Lunar New Year, they will face T1 directly. Chovy and his teammates need to seriously reflect on their weaknesses if they genuinely wish to contend for the title this season.