Does Gen.G want to avoid the “LCK’s number one seed curse” at Worlds 2024?
The LCK Summer 2024 Finals not only determines the championship of the domestic league for the year 2024 but also competes to see which team will be the number one seed of Korean League of Legends at Worlds 2024. With the high competitive nature and the potential for random draws that could send teams down different paths, being seed 1 or seed 2 carries significant weight. With the ultimate victory, Hanwha Life Esports will head to Worlds as seed 1 while Gen.G will be seed 2 – matching T1’s position at Worlds 2023.
In reality, there have been numerous “conspiracy theories” suggesting that Gen.G could benefit from their failure at LCK Summer 2024. Historically, LCK’s number one seeds at Worlds have not fared well. Since 2013, only SKT T1 in 2015 and Damwon Gaming in 2020 have won Worlds as number one seeds. Other teams like Samsung Galaxy and NJ Black Sword have fallen victim to this “curse.” Longzhu Gaming and Gen.G did not even make it past the Quarterfinals.
But is that enough for Gen.G to rise to glory at Worlds 2024?
Looking back, it can be seen that the two times LCK broke this “curse” were when they had strong representatives that stood out compared to the rest of the world. This includes SKT T1 in 2015, still regarded as one of the most powerful and well-rounded teams in Korean and global League of Legends history, as well as DWG in 2020 with each member working closely together and reaching peak performance. Gen.G is currently also a star-studded team that has completely dominated LCK teams, but they are somewhat less perfect than the two “predecessors” mentioned.
Chovy is excellent at farming and dealing damage, but Gen.G’s playmaking ability heavily relies on Canyon and Lehends. These two players do not always perform at their highest levels. Meanwhile, Kiin can shine, but that is when he is on a damage-dealing champion. As for Peyz, the recent finals showed that this young player still needs a lot of time to truly mature and become a pillar for the team instead of the current 180-degree opposite situation.
However, on any successful journey, alongside skill, luck is also needed. HLE played better and won. But Gen.G’s failure may not be too disastrous if they can win Worlds 2024 upcoming.