As we know, in the recent match against Hanwha Life Esports in the LCK Spring 2024 playoffs, T1 suffered a shocking 0-3 defeat. This score was truly unexpected for many, as T1 and HLE had maintained a balanced game, with both teams having a score of 1-1 after 2 group stage matches leading up to the LCK Spring 2024 playoffs. In addition to various professional reasons, Faker also had to admit that T1 was continuously facing DDoS attacks, which significantly affected their practice and scrims for T1.
For teams like T1, in a highly competitive environment like the LCK, ensuring regular practice and ranked climbing is a fundamental and crucial requirement. Just a small change in the meta, if players have not adapted, can greatly affect their performance in official matches.
Furthermore, in the LCK, there is also the pressure of performance and the audience scrutinizing the players very closely. Therefore, T1’s inability to scrim or rank climb for an extended period certainly has a severe impact on the players’ performances. Additionally, the frustration may have also existed when T1 players wanted to play or train but encountered issues.
However, T1’s current situation unintentionally clears GAM Esports’ name regarding their past, particularly their performance at Worlds 2022 and MSI 2023. Many may still remember that at Worlds 2022, GAM managed to secure only 1 victory against Top Esports in a BO1 match. Moving to MSI 2023, GAM even lost to wildcard teams, and the defeat to Movistar R7 was the “last straw.” At that time, most opinions directed criticism towards the yellow-black team. However, many fans forgot that GAM and other VCS teams had their Korean rank accounts stripped due to issues related to game sabotage on that server.
Losing access to a quality practice environment, although the conditions can hardly compare to players competing in the LCK, has significantly impacted the VCS. Clearly, GAM has not been able to improve their skills compared to opponents from regions that could still practice normally in the Korean rank or in regions with better-developed League of Legends.
A high-quality ranked environment not only provides players from smaller regions the opportunity to interact with high-skill players but also enhances their mindset and skills. Therefore, fans can now believe that the lack of a Korean rank environment has significantly contributed to GAM’s poor performance at MSI 2023.