After League of Legends was officially selected as a competition at the upcoming SEA Games 31 held in Vietnam, some opinions have raised the question: between SofM and Levi, who deserves a slot on the national team for this competition?
It can be said that the selection of League of Legends as one of the official events in the Esports category at the upcoming SEA Games 31 in Vietnam has made the local League of Legends community extremely excited. After all, in Vietnam, League of Legends is regarded as the national Esports game. In fact, Vietnam is even classified as an independent region (VCS), completely different from other Southeast Asian countries, which have to compete for slots in international tournaments with Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau at the PCS.
Immediately after, many opinions were expressed about which lineup would be chosen to compete at this SEA Games. Some even expressed concerns about which positions would be selected for the national team in the debut of League of Legends at the SEA Games – a long-standing sports event in the Southeast Asian region.
Among all the positions, perhaps the jungle position has sparked the most discussion, specifically between two names: Lê “SofM” Quang Duy and Đỗ “Levi” Duy Khánh. One has risen to global stature and is an indispensable pillar in the Suning lineup, while the other is a legend of the VCS. Both are among the finest talents that League of Legends Vietnam has ever produced.
Regarding SofM, his caliber is beyond debate as SN is the reigning runner-up of the 2020 World Championship. Moreover, many times from the Summer Split of 2020 to the Spring Split of 2021, SofM has proven his mettle and skills against top LPL junglers like Karsa or Kanavi… Not to mention, with experience in the harsh environment of the LPL and having gone global, such as at the 2020 World Championship, SofM is fully capable of shining at SEA Games 31.
As for Levi, he has also spent time competing in the LPL and the North American region. However, Levi hasn’t had many opportunities to show his skills. Nevertheless, he remains a top jungle player, even reaching a world-class level in the VCS region. Observing how Levi plays jungle, controls resources, and leads the team highlights the difference compared to the rest of the Vietnamese League of Legends scene. Even young talents like BeanJ have expressed a desire to hone their control and game management skills like Levi.
The biggest disadvantage for SofM likely lies in three factors. First, SofM is currently with Suning. This means that the parent team could completely refuse to let SofM return to Vietnam. Second, having been away from the VCS and competing in the LPL for too long will lead to the consequence that it is difficult for him to coordinate with teammates from the VCS, and they may struggle to keep up with him. At that point, the burden will fall on the shoulders of the 1998-born player.
On the other hand, Levi has the advantage of being very familiar with the VCS, as well as the play styles of each high-level player in the current VCS, whether they are rivals or have been team members of his. Moreover, this is the SEA Games, which means it is confined to the Southeast Asian region, and according to some gamers, the level of Vietnamese League of Legends has long surpassed this region.
The discussion about whether SofM or Levi will don the national team jersey at the upcoming SEA Games is still a hot topic among gamers. However, no matter who it is, fans can be completely confident in the potential of Vietnam’s Esports to “strike gold” at this prestigious event, which our country is honored to host.