Recently, the Vietnamese gaming community shared information about a message from Slayder to SofM, in which he inquired about the conditions for transferring to compete in the LPL. It seems that the star player of Team Secret has made a firm decision to seek opportunities abroad to compete on a larger and more prestigious stage.
In response to the younger player’s inquiry, SofM shared that Slayder must reach a Challenger rank of 1000 points on the Korean server and must have a referral. It may seem a bit unfair at first glance, but the reality is that for players from weaker regions like Slayder or SofM, luck is a crucial factor if they want to join a major region like the LPL.
The scouting teams of the LPL usually only focus on the Korean region when looking to recruit foreign players. To enhance the quality of their roster, they naturally prefer to seek talent from regions that are equally strong or stronger.
SofM is also a special case. Although he was previously targeted by Flash Wolves and some North American teams, it wasn’t until Clearlove recommended him to the scouting team of Snake Esports (EDward Gaming and Snake Esports have had a very close relationship in the past) that this team began to take notice of SofM.
Of course, SofM’s talent is undeniable, and he completely impressed the SS management in a short time. The issue here is that without Clearlove’s recommendation, the scouting staff of SS might not have taken the time to observe SofM, because according to the LPL mindset at that time, a player from a wild-card region, no matter how impressive their rank, was still considered a “temporary performance.”
And reality has shown that besides SofM, both Levi and Zeros have failed to prove themselves in the LPL (Levi couldn’t compete for a starting position at JD Gaming, while Zeros couldn’t convince Victory Five to pay more than $10,000/month for his performance during the trial).
As mentioned in the message exchange between SofM and Slayder, SofM also shared that currently, to compete in the LPL, unless you are a Korean superstar, there is only one way to go up from the LDL (the second-tier league).
As one of the top marksmen in the VCS, Slayder certainly deserves a chance to prove himself in larger arenas. However, he has been incredibly unlucky not to have had the opportunity to showcase his talent on the international stage like Levi or Zeros, and he doesn’t have the impressive rank-climbing ability that SofM has. Therefore, to be frank, opportunities for Slayder in the LPL do exist, but they are very slim.
However, Slayder has also shown his determination to his senior by being willing to compete in the LDL to both gain experience and take the opportunity to learn a foreign language. And who knows, fate might smile upon Slayder, as this player continues to demonstrate his fighting spirit and desire to win, even when faced with the harsh battlefield of the LPL.