Entering their first match at the World Championship (Worlds) 2023 and also the first match for 3 out of 5 members on the highest international stage of the LoL scene, Team Whales did not receive much expectation, especially when they were only the VCS runner-up while their opponent was Team BDS – a team overflowing with confidence after their crushing victory over Golden Guardians to secure their place at the Worlds 2023.
This seemed even more reasonable after BDS dominated the first game. However, TW, with their rare calmness and determination as a rookie, regained everything they had lost. One victory was not enough; it was also the first comeback victory at Worlds 2023, where a team that was completely overwhelmed ended up smiling in the end. TW brilliantly secured victory against a team from a Major region in a BO3 match.
It goes without saying how excited the VCS audience is. Across many forums, the Vietnamese LoL community was overjoyed at their home team’s victory. This is because no representative from VCS has ever achieved a positive result against Major teams in a BO3 match in the past. Previously, for VCS teams, winning just one game was already a significant effort. But now TW has truly made a miracle, especially as they were trailing.
On international forums, Western and Chinese-Korean audiences also could not believe their eyes. LEC has always prided itself on being a powerful region, second only to LCK-LPL. However, they have now been defeated by a team from VCS, and it was a loss while leading in a BO3 match.
With this victory, TW surprisingly has a great chance to advance. If they win against an opponent considered not too strong (CBTC Flying Oyster), they will definitely top the group. In the event that GAM Esports can create a miracle, a “VCS civil war” at Worlds 2023 could completely happen.