Thus, another domestic tournament has concluded in the Spring 2024 phase with the championship going to Gen.G – a team that is also the “king of LCK”. This means that Gen.G will secure a spot in the group stage of MSI 2024. However, according to the new format, T1 – the reigning runner-up of LCK Spring 2024, will have to compete from the Play-In stage. As Riot announced earlier, this is intended to increase competitiveness for the Play-In round as well as ensure quality for the group stage, where only the best teams can compete.
For teams like T1, appearing in the Play-In stage (meaning they have to play more matches) is not necessarily a disaster. For T1 specifically, this team could even use the time to experiment with new strategies. This is because once they reach the group stage, their opponents will be teams like Gen.G, Bilibili Gaming/Top Esports, or Team Liquid – a team that posed significant challenges for T1 at the 2023 World Championship. Having more “practice matches” in the Play-In stage could also help players regain their rhythm after the break following the Spring Split.
Additionally, for VCS fans, this brings a lot of excitement. It’s not easy for teams from VCS to face some of the best teams from the strongest regions. At the 2023 World Championship, GAM Esports faced 2 of the 4 LCK teams, Gen.G and Dplus KIA. If at MSI 2024, the team GAM can participate and face T1, it will undoubtedly be one of the most anticipated matches for Vietnamese LoL fans. Not to mention, in the past, Saigon Buffalo somewhat challenged T1 in the early stages. Therefore, many VCS fans are probably hoping GAM can replicate similar feats, or even surpass SGB’s previous performance.
Of course, the likelihood of GAM winning is still realistically very slim, especially after witnessing T1’s performance in the recent finals against Gen.G. However, this does not mean that Vietnamese LoL fans cannot hope for an outstanding performance from both teams and look forward to GAM players giving their all if they face Faker and his teammates.