Saigon Buffalo
Gone is the strong image of the “Buffalo Herd” from Spring 2021, no longer are there clips of Coach Ren “reading” the picks/bans of opponents. SGB had a terrible performance in the recent VCS Winter and no longer surprised their opponents. Watching Froggy, BeanJ, or Arrietty play, no one would recognize them as the team that crushed many strong opponents with a roster featuring 3 out of 5 names that first breathed VCS air in Spring 2021.
However, the important thing is that SGB is still a young lineup, and players like BeanJ and Taki are only participating in a VCS event for the second time. These names still have the potential to play the role of “challenger” in the upcoming Spring 2022. To achieve this, Coach Ren and his players need to quickly regain their best form and prove to the audience that the recent VCS Winter was just an accident.
Team Secret
As one of the teams known for their professional operation in VCS, having previously secured 3rd place in Spring 2021 and defeating the reigning VCS champion – CERBERUS Esports – in the Spring playoffs, TS has not been themselves in the recent Winter tournament. DNK has shown that he is an experienced and talented player, but unexpectedly handing over leadership responsibilities to younger teammates was indeed a bit… too much.
After the conclusion of Winter 2021, TS announced they were recruiting a series of new members. It’s quite possible that some well-known names from VCS will join, or it could be young players, but surely many fans will be looking forward to the return of “Hidden Sect” – a name that has been associated with many surprises in the highest level of the Vietnamese League of Legends scene, even against top teams like GAM Esports or CES.
GAM Esports
No need to say much, for GAM, finishing in second place is truly an unacceptable achievement, especially when their goal has always been to win the VCS championship and qualify for international tournaments. With a strong lineup, Levi is regarded as one of the best junglers in VCS, but GAM not only finished as the runner-up in the recent VCS Winter but also lost to CES in all three encounters.
Although “The Divine Hound” is very strong, it is undeniable that the GAM players also fell out of form. Kiaya fell seriously ill before the official tournament began, while Levi and Kati also dropped in performance and were under mental pressure, while Sty1e and Divkid couldn’t maintain consistency throughout. When the standout player of the team is Support Bie, GAM’s failure is hardly surprising.
But surely, the yellow-black team has learned many lessons after a tournament that did not meet expectations. In the new season, their goal will still be the championship. And surely, GAM’s management and the players, who have fought for many years in VCS, understand what they need to do to reclaim their position as the number one team in the Vietnamese League of Legends scene, a title they are all too familiar with.