On the opening day of VCS Spring 2024, Vikings Esports – the most notable wildcard of this tournament – also made their debut to the VCS audience in an official match. VKE attracted attention because they have a roster that combines both youthful energy and experience, battlefield prowess alongside some names that are still relatively unfamiliar and inexperienced in the Vietnamese League of Legends scene. Additionally, the allure of VKE also comes from SofM – the owner of the team. However, the final result saw VKE lose 0-2 in their first appearance at VCS.
If we only look at the score, many viewers will immediately think that VKE is “overrated”. In reality, people pay attention and hold VKE in high regard due to SofM being the owner and the presence of Kati and Shogun in the lineup. Kati is currently the most decorated Mid Laner in VCS. Meanwhile, Shogun is a young AD Carry with high burst potential and bold plays. However, upon watching both games closely, VKE may well be rated highly, but it isn’t entirely unreasonable.
In both games, one clear fact is that the VKE players possess very high skills, even surpassing veteran names like Hasmed or Taki from Team Secret. In crucial team fights, if VKE isn’t caught out beforehand, they can hold their ground. Even Kati and Shogun demonstrated the prowess typical of seasoned VCS players during moments when VKE was falling behind. In both games, this duo was also VKE’s hope, especially the former Mid Laner of GAM, as he performed very well, facilitating the team’s playstyle and serving as the main damage source before Shogun had enough items to share the burden.
However, in both games, VKE’s biggest weaknesses were also glaring: hasty decision-making and a lack of coordination that wasn’t truly “max ping”. A situation where Gury “went solo” straight into 2 members of Team Secret in game 1 exemplifies the impatience of the young player and the misunderstandings among VKE members. Or when VKE, at the end of game 2, having exhausted all resources, continued to push into the Mid Lane turret while Eddie had just respawned, and the other 3 members were nearly at full health, with only Hasmed missing, is another indication of this team’s haste.
Team VKE clearly possesses some high-caliber players, but they seem to be overly hasty. Furthermore, perhaps due to forming the team recently, the synergy isn’t evident yet. Moreover, within VKE currently, considering various factors such as experience and achievements, Kati might be the leader. This is a very novel role for the former GAM star, and Kati himself will need time to help his younger teammates perform as a unified team.
Furthermore, VCS Spring 2024 has just begun and one loss does not signify anything. Of course, fans may be disappointed with VKE. However, the squad of SofM is a newly formed team playing together for the first time, and they still have many opportunities to improve through each upcoming match. Provided that the players and coaching staff recognize their mistakes and make immediate improvements to avoid a downward spiral in both results and competitive mindset.