Thus, after the failures in VCS Spring 2021, the backstage turmoil and drama, SBTC Esports will still participate in the upcoming Summer 2021 season. The team has found a new sponsor and has regained motivation to continue. But what fans are most curious about right now is which names will come in and who will leave for this new beginning of the All-Star lineup.
New Faces That Could Arrive
Palette
Palette has always been an incredibly talented player and if it weren’t for the Covid-19 pandemic and some language-related issues, he could very well have been the next name after SofM and Levi to have an opportunity abroad. Although his journey to compete internationally hasn’t gone smoothly, Palette has still proven his value this season, despite Team Flash no longer holding the same status as before.
Palette also maintains good relationships with the current members of SE as they were former teammates in FL, GAM Esports, or Phong Vũ Buffalo in the past. With Slay having many more concerns now, SE will need a Support who can fully commit to the team and maintain stable performance, and Palette is the most suitable name for that role.
Artemis
A strong candidate is Artemis from CERBERUS Esports. CES has had a tradition in recent seasons of “choking” during crucial stages of the season and losing their advantages on the road to the championship. With a talented Marksman like Artemis, finishing in 3rd or 4th place is not what he aims for.
If he becomes part of a team filled with players who have strong mentalities or at least know what to do in decisive moments to win, Artemis will move closer to glory and especially have more opportunities to participate in international tournaments.
Draktharr/Meliodas/DNK/Xuhao
In the current VCS region, if looking for a suitable jungler for SE, it will cause a lot of debates. The reason is that the two most stable junglers from last season, Levi and BeanJ, already have teams and are unlikely to change in the next season, while the others occasionally have sudden “choke” moments.
Among them, Draktharr and Meliodas are probably the most promising names. To be honest, both of them did not perform poorly last season, with Meliodas even having some remarkable games, but of course, the reasons for their performance decline include both objective and subjective factors.
DNK and Xuhao are different. They are in two strong teams and there has not been much upheaval in their rosters. However, what they have shown up to this point has not met audience expectations, especially DNK. Therefore, SE will likely have to carefully consider one of the positions that greatly impact the outcome of the game.
Yoshino/Pun/Coated/Kemken
The top lane is definitely where SE must find another name to fill the spot left by Zeros – the player who was immediately dismissed after his unfortunate remarks earlier this month. But identifying strong candidates is not an easy answer.
Yoshino had a very poor season compared to the expectations placed on him. There were many matches where FL lost due to the top lane being constantly camped or being outplayed completely during team fights.
Pun, Coated, and Kemken have shown mixed performances. Particularly, none of them have demonstrated that they can turn the tide of a match when placed in difficult situations. However, if SE wants to find a stable player with at least some potential, these are names to consider.
Who Might Be Leaving?
Yijin
Besides Zeros, who has already received a dismissal, Yijin is the next name that SE fans have demanded to leave the team the most. The reason mainly stems from a post by coach Tinikun accusing this player of not having a serious attitude towards training and competing, even when the team is in a difficult situation. It is very likely that if SE undergoes a significant restructuring, Yijin will be the name with the highest chance of leaving the team.
Slay
Slay currently has not maintained the same level of performance as when he was at GAM, not to mention he now has many more concerns than League of Legends or titles in VCS. With him now having left the SE gaming house, it is likely that Slay will also leave and even retire to take care of family matters.
Celebrity
Similar to Slay, Celebrity is currently of an older age and he recently married his girlfriend not long ago. Although he still had some impressive carry moments in the last season, perhaps it is time for him to pass the stage to the younger generation. Celebrity might only step down to a substitute position but in a comment right below SE’s sponsor announcement post, he half-jokingly mentioned that he had left the team’s gaming house.
Coach Violet
To say that coach Quyen had a poor season would be unfair, but his calm demeanor is one of his weaknesses, especially when SE is filled with star players with strong personalities and prone to rebellion. To the point that coach Tinikun had to return to suppress the egos, it is clear that coach Violet cannot be said to have fulfilled his duties.
It is very likely that he will also leave to find himself a new home in the next season, or continue working with coach Tinikun to steer the SE “ship”. But what is crucial is that he must find an effective solution for the new and old “stars” to harmonize, aiming towards a common goal.
Conclusion
While it is uncertain who will come, who will go, and who will stay, it is certain that SE will still be one of the most exciting teams to watch in VCS Summer 2021.