GAM Esports’ first opponent at MSI 2024 will be a formidable name from the powerful LEC region, and also a team with a rich history in the League of Legends scene – Fnatic. Notably, this marks the second consecutive international tournament where GAM faces the first Worlds champion in League of Legends history. In their most recent encounter, FNC left the VCS champions with no chance of victory. It was an almost absolute domination, and Vietnamese LoL fans also believe that GAM’s chances of winning against FNC are nearly impossible.
However, in the past, GAM specifically and the VCS teams in general have a way of creating surprises at moments when no one expects them to. Therefore, in the upcoming match against FNC, GAM has every reason to believe they can secure a victory. The last two Worlds tournaments have revealed the “secret” for GAM’s players to make something happen.
Bold Choices
At the Worlds 2022, the champion pick that helped GAM defeat TES was, frankly, Levi’s Karthus choice. With nothing left to lose, GAM decided to let their captain use the champion associated with Levi’s “16-button combo” nickname. Karthus in the hands of the legendary VCS jungler was truly “terrifying,” causing opponents to consistently prioritize banning Levi’s Karthus after that match.
Of course, not every innovative choice is the right one. But if bold selections are made at the right moments, GAM can certainly catch opponents off guard. While Karthus might be hard to see in the future, who knows, GAM might bring forth another unique pick that is just as effective as Levi’s famous “16-button combo.”
Innovative Yet Strategic
There is a common truth: during high-pressure phases, VCS players often tend to play instinctively without coordination. This does not align well with the professional environment. Like T1, when they make bold picks, they still adhere to their established strategies. And GAM has shown this as well, as they let Pyosik use the champion Kindred at the Worlds 2023, but then completely defeated Team Liquid.
“Unusual” picks can only function effectively when players have sufficient skills, confidence, and, importantly, absolute adherence to strategy. And even though it is acknowledged that some skills like macro play or handling high-pressure situations, VCS teams have yet to match their opponents (not to mention GAM has players attending MSI for the first time), that does not mean VCS players can only rely on instincts and hope their opponents make mistakes.
Compete with a “Nothing to Lose” Mindset
In previous Worlds or MSI tournaments, VCS teams have only performed really well when they are almost certain to be eliminated from the tournament. This is quite perplexing for fans, as many wonder: why don’t VCS teams play like this from the start? The most recent evidence is still in the victory against TES at Worlds 2022 or the win against TL at Worlds 2023. Although they performed impressively, the truth is that GAM or VCS teams only stop at the level of “impressive” and nothing more.
If GAM wants to improve the region’s standing on the international stage, as well as achieve more favorable results, they need to adopt the mindset that “every match is a final” from the start. Moreover, the MSI 2024 will be even more intense as teams are determined to achieve the best ranking due to the benefits Riot brings. Thus, the chance for GAM to create an upset is very slim. But it is not impossible if players compete with a spirit of “nothing to lose” right from their first match.