In recent days, as the LCK Spring 2022 has concluded and the MSI 2022 slot has been claimed, one of the issues that the Korean League of Legends community and the broader LoL scene are keenly interested in is which names will be chosen for the Korean team competing at the upcoming Asian Games 2022. Many opinions suggest that, with T1 demonstrating a dominant performance in the domestic league, a team consisting of T1 plus Canyon, the jungler from DWG KIA, would be perfect for the Korean squad.
Recently, Korean media reported that KeSPA has established 8 criteria for selecting players for the Korean Esports teams at the upcoming Asiad. These 8 criteria include:
1. Gaming skills/performance ability.
2. Contribution to the team.
3. Potential and prospects for development.
4. Experience in international tournaments.
5. Sense of responsibility towards the country.
6. Personal statistics from the last 3 months to the most recent season.
7. Rank (here referring to Korean rank).
8. Contributions to Korean Esports.
In reality, alongside criteria such as gaming skills, performance, and contribution to the team, personal statistics, and rank, there are some criteria that may pose difficulties for T1’s young stars. First is Zeus. T1’s top laner may “miss out” on the criterion of “international competition experience.” The young star of T1 has only just completed his first season in the domestic league. Furthermore, Zeus’s international tournament experience is a complete zero.
Next, the two names Oner and Gumayusi may also be “eliminated” under the criterion of “contribution to Korean Esports.” The concept of contributing to Korean Esports is quite abstract. Oner has only completed his first season in the LCK despite debuting at Worlds 2021. Meanwhile, Gumayusi has only truly stabilized in this Spring season. Remember, he was benched by Teddy for most of the Summer 2021 and only returned from the finals against DK.
Additionally, both Gumayusi and Oner have only participated in one international tournament (Worlds 2021). Compared to other contenders for their positions like Canyon and Ruler, Oner and Gumayusi certainly fall short in these two criteria.
Looking at it more critically, even Keria faces danger in the criterion of “contribution to Korean Esports,” as he currently has no titles except for the recent LCK Spring 2022. However, this likelihood is very low. Keria has been competing in the LCK for a long time, from DRX to T1 now. He is also a Support player that the League of Legends community worldwide must respect, due to his creative playstyle and ability to turn the tide of matches.
Among the entire T1 roster, the only player who meets all 8 of these criteria is Faker, while Keria could also be considered. The remaining three positions leave some doubts. However, all of this will remain speculation and debate within the League of Legends community. The final list will only be revealed in a few days, after careful consideration by KeSPA.
