At the MSI 2023, GAM Esports will make their return after a long absence for various reasons, both objective and subjective. GAM has almost completely transformed since they first stepped onto the world stage, surprising the international League of Legends community. According to coach Hankay, GAM is currently the strongest GAM since the team in black and yellow first appeared in the League of Legends arena.
However, at MSI 2023, GAM will face many challenges as the format has changed. They will need to get through the Play-In stage to secure a spot for advancement. In the Play-In stage, they will encounter the LPL runner-up, LCS, and the Winter 2023 LEC champion – G2 Esports, who are all waiting. Both Bilibili Gaming and Golden Guardians are also strong teams. Not to mention, the likes of DetonatioN FocusMe and PSG Talon are ready to create surprises.
In a recent interview, Kiaya – one of GAM’s “carry” players shared insights about the upcoming journey of the team. Notably, Kiaya is confident that he can overcome Golden Guardians in their opening match to face Bilibili Gaming (if BLG wins R7). Moreover, GAM’s top laner admitted: “I have scrimmed many times with Bin, so I am confident I understand Bin’s playstyle. If I can face Bin, I am confident I can play evenly with him.”
Another player from GAM who is also drawing attention at MSI 2023 is Sty1e. The AD Carry of GAM became the VCS Spring 2023 champion but has yet to fully reassure fans. In the interview, Sty1e also admitted: “In the past Spring Split, I really didn’t play at my full potential and sometimes put the team in difficult situations. But at MSI 2023, I will do my best to reach the team’s goal.”
Alongside Levi, players like Kiaya, Kati, and Sty1e are incredibly important. At times, Kiaya and Kati will be quality damage sources. Sty1e might have a poor laning phase but he always knows how to maximize damage in team fights. Not to mention, they also have a support, Zin, who has the potential to create surprises. However, everything will only run smoothly if these players perform at their peak.
The MSI stage will be vastly different from the VCS, and the quality of opponents is much higher than SE or SGB… by a long shot. GAM players need to stay focused because just one small mistake could come at a great cost. But Vietnamese fans can fully trust GAM to create surprises, just as they did on American soil last year.