As is well known, not long ago, Team Whales shocked the League of Legends community by revealing that two players from the LCK would be added to their roster. However, due to various objective and subjective reasons, TW had to temporarily recruit Optimus for the initial stage of the season, and the foreign duo could only start playing for the “Whales” recently. The thing is, both Dove and Sounda (the two foreign players of TW) still haven’t been able to help this team overcome their current difficulties, and TW is still struggling in the lower half of the standings with a record of 2 wins – 6 losses.
In fact, even the performance of both Dove and Sounda in the recent match against Team Secret was not necessarily more outstanding than their counterparts on the other side, if not significantly below expectations. And TW still has to rely on the brilliance of Artemis. Right after the match, many viewers commented on the performance of the Korean duo. According to them, there were numerous opinions suggesting that the two players had not truly communicated with their teammates. Additionally, the skill level of this duo might need to be re-evaluated. Because, without even entering team fights, right from the early lane phase, Dove seemed to struggle against his opponent. While Sounda had a good start in game 1, he gradually fell behind in the mid-game phase.
In reality, foreign players from the LCK often find it difficult to adapt immediately after just 1 or 2 matches when moving to Vietnam. Even with prior training, once they enter competitive play, it is a completely different environment. Not to mention, Dove is not a young player nor has he played on top teams in the LCK/LPL; he has drifted between many teams. Meanwhile, Sounda is a player from the LCK Challengers League, and he has never had the opportunity to compete in the main LCK.
Regarding the skills of these players as well as their ability to adapt to the VCS, careful consideration is still needed, and fans may need to give them more time. However, the group stage of VCS Summer 2024 is nearing its end, and if TW’s current roster does not make every effort, the risk of the “Whales” missing out on playoffs is very high.