With their victory against Kwangdong Freecs in the first semifinal of LCK Spring 2022 on March 26 (Vietnam time), T1 has extended their unbeaten streak in this tournament to 19. Currently, Faker and his teammates just need to maintain a relaxed mindset while waiting to see who their opponent will be between DWG KIA and Gen.G Esports.
Although we are still in the Spring 2022 season and there is still one final match ahead, KeSPA (Korean eSports Association) has announced the latest information regarding the 2022 Asian Games. Accordingly, the head coach of the Korean League of Legends team participating in the tournament will be coach kkOma – one of the most successful coaches in League of Legends history. If nothing unexpected occurs, coach kkOma will reunite with his star pupil Faker in the squad for the 2022 Asian Games.
Moreover, KeSPA has also announced that the selection of personnel for the Korean team will be based on choosing individual players rather than selecting a collective team. However, there are many concerns expressed as KeSPA might apply a similar player selection rule for the Korean team as it did for the All-Star and 2018 Asian Games: each team can only contribute a maximum of 2 players.
The reason for such concerns is simply because League of Legends is a team-heavy esports. A collective may not need to gather the top players in their respective positions, but it is certainly essential to have coordination and team calls. A prime example is T1 itself this Spring.
Compared to names like Doran or Kiin, Zeus certainly lacks experience, but his skills are being maximized within T1’s lineup. In the case of Oner, many T1 fans have dreamed of Canyon joining this prestigious team, especially after witnessing the first All-LCK team of Spring 2022. However, anyone who follows T1 closely will understand that it is Oner, not Canyon, who fits T1. While Oner may not have the same influence as Canyon, he coordinates exceptionally well with Faker. For T1, that’s enough to be a part of the winning formula.
Furthermore, T1 is one of the few teams in the 4 Major League of Legends tournaments that did not bring in any new names during the recent offseason transfer window. Specifically, aside from Keria and coach Polt, nearly all other positions from the coaching staff to players in T1 are homegrown. From being a provider of many top players to LCK teams, T1’s training facility is also proving its quality. But more importantly, it represents stability in personnel.
Zeus is the youngest member of the team but has been training at T1 since he was young. Gumayusi and Keria form an inseparable duo currently. Meanwhile, Oner continues to show his growth and excellent coordination with Faker. As for Faker, he simply represents all the values of T1 from its founding to now.
If KeSPA maintains the rules like when selecting players for the All-Star, it might inadvertently become an all-star lineup that may not coordinate well together. Moreover, Zeus has shown that his lack of experience can be completely compensated for if in a lineup where each position plays coherently as a unified whole. With T1 potentially becoming the only team in League of Legends history to rise to the top without losing a single match, KeSPA should truly reconsider its player selection regulations. Especially when their arch-rival LPL possesses many strong teams that also want to win gold on home soil, and furthermore, to assert which League of Legends scene dominates the world.