On August 5th (Vietnam time), JD Gaming completed 3/4 of the journey of the 2023 season by successfully defending their LPL championship title. Their opponent this time was not Bilibili Gaming but LNG Esports – a team that was rated quite low before the playoffs began. Notably, both JDG and LNG delivered a spectacular final that lasted 5 games, with the better team emerging as champions.
JDG’s current goal is to win the World Championship (Worlds) 2023, and they are the strongest contender this time. Of course, the journey in the biggest tournament in the League of Legends scene will not be easy, and JDG has never shown a good track record in this tournament in the past, having been eliminated early twice before. However, at present, JDG’s roster is considered the strongest in their positions, and it will not be easy to stop them from achieving a Grand Slam title in 2023.
Nevertheless, speaking about Worlds 2023, Kanavi holds his opponents in high regard and admits that he is eager to meet T1 again. Kanavi shared in an interview: “Because of the Semifinal match at Worlds 2022, I really want to meet T1 for revenge. Actually, JDG has already beaten T1 at MSI 2023, but another victory at Worlds 2023 would be even more meaningful.” Additionally, with the LPL Summer 2023 championship under their belt, Kanavi and Knight are confident about JDG’s chance for a four-title sweep this year.
Currently, T1 has revealed several weaknesses, and compared to Worlds 2022, they have declined significantly. However, if they can participate in the Worlds taking place on home soil, Faker and his teammates will still be a formidable force. Furthermore, JDG is currently in the same position as last year when they arrived at Worlds as the domestic champions. They performed well at MSI, but the Worlds stage will be very different. Just a moment of distraction, and JDG could risk their entire season, especially against opponents like T1, Gen.G, or KT Rolster.