At MSI 2024, GAM Esports brought a particularly unique lineup. This is arguably the weakest roster of GAM since the team began to completely dominate the Vietnamese League of Legends scene and make waves on the international stage. Before the VCS Spring 2024 playoffs, not many people were familiar with Emo. On the other hand, EasyLove was the ADC of the team sitting at the bottom of the table with an unprecedented record in the history of Vietnamese League of Legends: not a single win in the group stage. And if there were no match-fixing suspicions, these two players might never have dreamed of MSI, let alone becoming official players and even the hopes of both the team and the audience.
But there is a clear truth that the psychological issue weighs heavily on VCS players every time they compete internationally, causing them to have less than stellar starts and only able to explode when there’s nothing left to lose. Expectations from the audience or the pressure to perform well in the opening match is a given. However, there is a difference that Levi mentioned affects the psychology of VCS players in particular and GAM in general when stepping onto the international stage: the audience factor.
In the post-match sharing after the loss to FNC, Levi acknowledged that Emo faced some psychological issues when competing in a venue with a huge audience. This is completely understandable and reasonable given that Emo is a young player. However, it’s worth noting that VCS itself does not have such a large audience; in fact, throughout many seasons since the pandemic, there has been a notable absence of fans at VCS matches. Most viewers can only watch through viewing parties while players have to compete in quiet, sparsely attended arenas.
Emo’s situation may mirror that of many of his predecessors, such as Kati or Sty1e… When Kati and Team Flash dominated the Vietnamese League of Legends, and then he switched to GAM, it was also the time when VCS began to lose its live audience. Therefore, combined with the pressure from performance and audience interactions on social media, it’s not surprising that Kati expressed clear anxiety and psychological strain.
And it is precisely because of Levi’s revelation that Riot may have to bear some responsibility. In VCS, the community has long awaited a proper, polished venue to replace GG Stadium. Granted, during the pandemic and when Riot first took over League of Legends, this had to be put on hold. But even now, everything still seems to be nowhere in sight, further frustrating the audience. Meanwhile, images of tournaments in PCS or CBLOL with their grandeur and fervor leave the VCS audience feeling envious.
Besides addressing match-fixing issues, perhaps Riot and the VCS organizers really need to take decisive actions regarding the venue. Not only to help players readjust to the electrifying atmosphere of true professional League of Legends matches, but also to bring the VCS community back to the glorious days of the past.