On the afternoon of June 15 (Vietnam time), the LCK Summer 2022 officially kicked off with two opening matches: Kwangdong Freecs vs. Hanwha Life Esports and Nongshim RedForce vs. DRX. However, today, June 16 (Vietnam time), promises to be even more exciting as the top teams, specifically DWG KIA and Gen.G Esports, officially enter the fray.
In Spring 2022, both DK and Gen.G failed to achieve their goal of claiming the title. While DK underwent numerous roster changes leading to some members still adjusting, Gen.G was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, in this Summer 2022, both DK and Gen.G, alongside T1, are the three strongest candidates for the championship. Undoubtedly, the journey to the championship for Faker and his teammates this Summer 2022 will be more challenging compared to the previous Spring.
Recently, in a poll for the most anticipated Mid Laners in LCK Summer 2022, ShowMaker emerged as the most selected player among experts. A total of 12 individuals were designated to vote for these players. ShowMaker received 6 votes, accounting for 50% of the total. Coming in just behind ShowMaker is Chovy from Gen.G, who received 3 votes, equivalent to 25% of the total votes for the most anticipated Mid Laner in the upcoming Summer.
However, the most notable point is that Faker—the Mid Laner and captain of the team that currently holds the longest undefeated record in LCK—has only received 1 vote. This matches the number of votes received by Lava and Clozer, two players who are far less renowned.
This result indicates that in Summer 2022, ShowMaker will definitely be eager to take revenge on T1 and, above all, claim the championship. The outcome from the previous Spring was certainly not what ShowMaker had hoped for. Furthermore, with Nuguri’s return, DK is sure to be a very strong team, and it’s understandable why ShowMaker is receiving so much expectation.
As for Faker, he experienced a “dream-like” LCK Spring 2022 with an undefeated record. However, at MSI 2022, Faker and T1 revealed several weaknesses. If opponents can exploit these, it remains uncertain what might happen to T1. Moreover, younger players like Chovy and ShowMaker are certainly not willing to fall behind their senior. Perhaps it is precisely these unpredictable factors that led to Faker not receiving much expectation ahead of the new season.