In the 2024 LCK Spring Split, a familiar scenario has unfolded as Gen.G and T1 continue to occupy the top two spots on the leaderboard. These are also the two teams that showcased the most convincing play during the recent Group Stage. It wouldn’t be surprising if T1 and Gen.G remain direct rivals for the LCK Spring title this time and secure spots for MSI 2024 together.
Additionally, other major tournaments like the LPL and LEC are beginning to reveal potential candidates for the MSI spots. Therefore, it is entirely understandable for T1 to start monitoring and studying these future opponents. In a recent interview, T1’s star support, Keria, disclosed the most formidable players in the LPL according to his assessment. Surprisingly, the players Keria mentioned are not from the teams currently leading the LPL.
“To be honest, I’ve been watching the LPL a lot lately. Perhaps because this region will become our (T1’s) main rival at the upcoming MSI. I see Tangyuan from RNG and Milkyway from FPX playing exceptionally well right now. Although they aren’t famous or considered superstars, they are extremely skilled players and quite daunting to face,” Keria shared.
In the 2024 LPL Spring Split, FPX has shown a strong resurgence by sitting in 4th place on the leaderboard despite not having any big-name players on their roster. A significant contribution to FPX’s success has been their jungler, Milkyway, who has shone in many matches and literally “carried the team.” In fact, media in the LPL have even dubbed Milkyway the “savior” of the league due to his outstanding performance. Perhaps this is why Keria holds the young jungler from FPX in such high regard.
As for Tangyuan, he seems to be a bit unlucky as RNG is currently at the bottom of the table. However, there are many rumors suggesting that RNG is a very strong team when practicing. Some even joke that if Tangyuan played at 80% of his practice level, RNG could already be competing for the LPL championship. It’s likely that T1 and RNG have had several scrims against each other, which is why Keria holds his LPL counterpart in high regard.
Essentially, the likelihood of Milkyway or Tangyuan facing T1 at the upcoming MSI is very slim. While Milkyway still has a chance to compete in the playoffs, Tangyuan and RNG are not even in that position. Moreover, BLG and JDG are still too powerful in the current LPL, making it exceedingly difficult to snatch an MSI spot from them.
Nevertheless, these players are still very young (both 20 years old) and have plenty of opportunities for development in the future. Who knows, in just 1-2 years, they might rise to become top stars in the LPL and directly challenge T1 for international titles.