Recently, CERBERUS Esports once again shocked the VCS community. Despite already having two quality junglers, EGO and Phuc1, CES continues to add another player for the Jungle position. This time, the name is not a well-known player in the VCS community, nor a young prospect, but another foreign player from Korea. This individual is a former player named Leash, who was a YouTuber before joining CES. However, these foreign players may not necessarily elevate VCS or the players and teams in the region.
Foreign players have had rather poor careers
As known, Leash is the former teammate of Poss when these two players competed in the REVERSE Gaming lineup in the lower division of the LCK (CK tournament). The only notable memory of REVERSE Gaming might be their confrontation against Damwon Gaming (now known as DWG KIA) when ShowMaker and his teammates were still playing in the lower division. In the season when DK earned their spot in the LCK, REVERSE Gaming finished almost at the bottom of the standings with 4 wins and 10 losses.
Furthermore, an important fact is that Leash has been out of competitive play for quite some time, since the end of the 2018 season after struggling for a long while. Since then, Leash has primarily been active as a YouTuber focusing on League of Legends content. Although he primarily plays jungle, Leash is not particularly outstanding as a ranked streamer. His return this time has raised doubts within the VCS community.
Poss has had a stint in the LPL – an environment quite similar to the VCS that also prioritizes skirmishes. However, Poss was not particularly effective. WE itself was not a top team in the LPL. During the early stages of VCS Winter 2021 – the tournament marking Poss’s debut in VCS, this player did not stand out and was quickly replaced by Pun.
Prior to Poss, former SKT T1 player Profit did not even play a single match and was only recognized as an assistant coach for TF. Profit was once a highly regarded player at SKT T1 but could not compete for the starting position in this team, which had no shortage of talented top laners. When he joined the VCS, the international League of Legends community did not have high expectations for this move.
Contrasting Playstyles
Besides language and skill factors, another issue that makes it difficult for Korean players to adapt to the VCS is the difference in playstyles. The playstyle of League of Legends in Vietnam tends to favor aggressive skirmishing combined with macro play. In contrast, the LCK has never been known for its fighting style. At times, matches in the LCK have been incredibly boring due to long durations with little fighting, focusing heavily on strategy. Therefore, Poss clearly showed that he struggled when faced with the constant skirmishing playstyle of the VCS.
In the current meta, while top laners may not play an overly significant role, the Jungle position is different. In any meta, the jungler is always a name that requires excellent coordination with all lanes as this is the only position that can oversee, control, and support every lane in a match. Not to mention, while VCS may lack talented AD carries or mid laners, there has never been a shortage of skilled junglers. Even within CES, if Leash joins, he will have to compete with EGO and Phuc1 – two younger names who have already proven their talents.
Costs, Salaries, and the Reputation of Teams and the Tournament
The VCS’s “importing” of Korean players with average skills may help VCS teams initially approach the Korean League of Legends scene. However, with too many foreign players added without ensuring quality, it could become costly for the teams. Moreover, the community’s trust in foreign players within the VCS is gradually declining, following the cases of Poss and Profit. Poorly performing foreign players will affect the image of the parent team and the VCS in the eyes of the international League of Legends community.
Of course, it is still too early to determine whether Leash will succeed in VCS. But if we consider a scenario where this player does not perform well, similar to Poss in the past (with the possibility of Leash debuting in VCS Summer 2022), CES could find itself in a dilemma. Not only would it be an ineffective player slot, but it could also lead to many long-term repercussions in the future.