On May 25th, SBTC Esports unexpectedly parted ways with their key player Nguyễn Phước “Celebrity” Long Hiệp – the veteran ADC of the team. He has been one of SE’s irreplaceable pillars since the team’s establishment. Despite his age, Celebrity still demonstrated his high level of play. It can be said that, although he has not achieved high results, thanks in large part to the effort of the “international AD,” SE’s ranking remains under control.
However, while SE’s farewell to Celebrity is understandable given that he has expressed intentions to retire and is of advanced age, recently, “Gà Hồng” truly surprised the audience. Specifically, on the evening of May 26th, SE continued to say goodbye to two young and promising names, Dương “Simon” Thanh Hòa and Nguyễn “2T” Trọng Trí. While Simon was just a substitute, the community interprets SE’s parting with 2T as a preparation for Dia1’s return after his punishment for “off-the-record” activities.
Nevertheless, Dia1 has been out of competition for too long, and immediately placing trust in him may be a risky move for SE. Meanwhile, 2T is not without potential, especially since this player is still young and has always been in SE’s starting lineup since joining at the beginning of the 2022 season. Regardless, the decision has been made, and both Simon and 2T will likely have to urgently seek new homes to prepare for the upcoming Summer Split.
With SE continuously parting ways with several players, the League of Legends community is speculating about a major “cleansing” of “Gà Hồng” ahead of the VCS Summer 2022. Despite having been established for some time, SE’s results still sit in the lower half of the standings, making it undeniable that they need quality players. However, at this point, it won’t be easy for this team to bring in truly talented players without facing competition from other teams in the VCS.
However, it can be said that SE next Summer 2022 will be very interesting, as the Mid Lane may welcome the return of Dia1 while the ADC will definitely be a new face instead of the experienced Celebrity. Nevertheless, SE’s performance will still be very unpredictable, especially when top teams like GAM Esports, Saigon Buffalo, or CERBERUS Esports will undoubtedly also strive for a spot in the 2022 World Championship.