Thus, after the conclusion of the LCK Awards 2023, where the T1 stars dominated almost every prestigious category, the 2023 season can be considered closed for the LCK region. Teams have also finalized their rosters for the new season, and of course, the echoes of the Worlds 2023 have likely faded. At this moment, fans are probably just waiting for the schedule of the LCK Spring 2024 and looking forward to seeing their players return to LoL Park.
At the recent LCK Awards 2023, it was clear that Chovy did not seem to be in a joyful mood. Partly due to the news that Chovy was ill before the event, and secondly, 2023 marked another not-so-successful year for this Mid Laner. Although Chovy still won 2 LCK championships with Gen.G, it was followed by a complete zero on the international stage. The title of “the prodigy who never grows up” haunted Chovy again after he was eliminated by Bilibili Gaming in the Quarterfinals of Worlds 2023.
However, for this reason, many fans have recalled the journey of DRX 2022 and Weibo Gaming 2023 to realize that both teams, which at least reached the finals of this Worlds, share a common point. That is, both teams are familiar scrim partners of T1. In fact, as Crisp revealed, the team they scrimmed the most at Worlds was T1: “We scrimmed with them a lot, and we realized that they are stronger than us in every aspect. We also learned a lot from T1 and believe we will do better next year.”
DRX previously also practiced with T1, and perhaps that is why the team nicknamed “Dragon X” can understand the weaknesses of Faker and his teammates. However, in general, T1 possesses a diverse and adaptable playstyle. Being able to scrim with T1 at least helps teams discover new strategies that suit them to apply against other opponents.
There is an opinion suggesting that Chovy should “learn” immediately to break the “curse” at international tournaments. For those who may not know, up until now, Chovy has never reached a finals match in any Worlds, regardless of how strong or weak his lineup was. Chovy’s best achievement is reaching the Semifinals, most recently in 2022 when they were defeated by DRX.
However, besides practicing with T1, all teams that want to reach the finals of international tournaments need to demonstrate real strength and talent. Chovy has always been a very talented player, but clearly, when stepping onto the international stage, he has not been able to meet the expectations of the fans.