In their first match at the World Championship (CKTG) 2023, GAM Esports entered with high expectations from fans after their players had performed quite well at ASIAD against the strong Chinese team. Additionally, GAM currently has what can be considered a “dream team” for VCS with the addition of Slayder – Palette (both of whom are highly regarded in their positions). Not to mention, their opponent was LOUD – a weaker team from CBLOL and has yet to achieve good results on the international stage except for some impressive performances at the 2022 World Championship.
However, contrary to all predictions, GAM suffered a complete defeat in both games. In game 1, a series of terrible mistakes from GAM allowed LOUD to take many advantages and snowball the game, while game 2 saw a collapse after having a significant lead. Meanwhile, their opponent LLL performed markedly better, and it can only be said that the CBLOL representative deserved the victory.
Notably, on the day GAM lost, the player who was supposed to bear the brunt of the criticism, Kati, actually performed at his level. Meanwhile, Kiaya was also a rare bright spot in GAM’s gloomy picture. However, the most anticipated duo, Slayder and Palette, underperformed. In fact, Slayder made many perplexing plays throughout both games, and he was completely outperformed by LLL’s bot lane.
Additionally, many opinions have shifted to… apologize to Sty1e. Of course, this is just playful banter amid the bleak picture of the reigning VCS champion. After all, GAM and Sty1e also did not achieve good results. But it is clear that Slayder – Palette did not perform as expected by the fans.
It cannot be said that GAM’s chances are over. However, with Movistar R7 ahead, and a potential match against Team BDS afterward, the likelihood of GAM advancing through the Play-In stage to reach the Swiss stage of CKTG 2023 is extremely low.