Before the 2022 LPL Spring Split began, Top Esports was highly regarded by experts. The reason was their convincing performance at the 2021 Demacia Cup with a new roster, showcasing the potential of a top team in the LPL. Some were even optimistic enough to place TES just below the reigning world champions EDward Gaming before the start of the 2022 LPL Spring Split.
However, what Top Esports has shown after two weeks of competition in the LPL has been extremely disappointing considering the roster they possess. Although they currently hold a record of 2 wins and 2 losses, TES’s successful matches only came against much weaker teams like Ultra Prime and Team WE. The moment they faced tougher opponents like Rare Atom or Victory Five, TES exposed numerous weaknesses in their gameplay and suffered defeats.
For instance, in the defeat against Victory Five last weekend, Top Esports revealed many flaws in their team fight organization and individual skills. Observing how TES attacked during team fights, it became apparent that the synergy between team members was lacking. It was not uncommon for each player to target different objectives in fights, resulting in TES lacking damage.
Furthermore, the weak link named Zhuo has yet to show any improvement and has caused Top Esports significant issues during fights. Meanwhile, their biggest star – Knight – had a terrible day facing Rookie on the opposing team. While Rookie is no novice in the mid lane, Knight’s lackluster performance when his teammates needed him most is hard to accept. As a result, Knight became the focal point of criticism after the match ended.
Rookie plays as if he’s Knight’s father.
I swear Knight is psychologically traumatized when facing Rookie. Every time Knight goes 1v1 against Rookie, he gets crushed.
Whenever the camera focuses on mid, Knight is farming minions while Rookie keeps attacking him. Knight has probably accepted defeat.
Honestly, Top Esports currently lacks a strong enough brain to lead the team. Watching how Rookie and Karsa maneuver around and “herd” Knight and Xiaopeng is truly disheartening.
We must remember that in the current 2022 LPL Spring Split, many strong teams have emerged and are ready to claim the top spots. Notable names in this group include LNG Esports, Royal Never Give Up, Bilibili Gaming, and Victory Five themselves. Meanwhile, reigning champions EDward Gaming have yet to suffer any defeats at this point. Additionally, Weibo Gaming, OMG, and FPX are also formidable opponents.
Therefore, given Top Esports’ current performance, finding opportunities to climb back to the top is extremely challenging. If they continue to play poorly as they did in the recent match against V5, it is entirely possible for TES to drop to the lower half of the standings. Perhaps this team needs to undertake a serious reassessment of their playstyle during the upcoming Lunar New Year break if they wish to compete for a playoff spot.