After a disastrous MSI, it’s time for the teams of the LCK to recuperate coming into summer. In stark contrast to Worlds 2022, the last international tournament, where both finalists were LCK representatives, both the first and second seeds fell foul to China’s runner-up in the lower bracket in this year’s MSI, leading to an all-LPL final.
T1 are looking shakier and shakier as time goes by, gaining a reputation as chokers in consistent second place finishes. If they could just get over that mental hurdle, they could break out and show the true potential this roster has always teased. However, after falling into the lower bracket vs. JD Gaming, T1 failed to overcome the might of China’s second seed, Bilibili Gaming. This could be perceived as either a blessing or a curse for the other members of the LCK. Given this downward trend, it may be a sign that T1’s seemingly guaranteed slot at Worlds could be up for grabs if the teams at their heels can step it up for summer. On the other hand, their performance in those games didn’t seem to stem from direct gameplay issues. It felt like the classic stubbornness of the LCK bit them, much like the way it did Gen.G, as they lacked the ability to adapt in the draft, and it seemed like they were doomed from champ select to be on the back foot for the entire series.
Hopefully, throughout the upcoming summer season, we will see the meta change amongst the teams in the LCK. With this LPL victory, there could be more cause to look outward at the meta in other regions to discover different ways to challenge the top teams. Although Korean League of Legends/ teams have historically remained on top for the entire duration of a tournament, that has all changed now that the tournaments have turned to the double-elimination format. The new format allows a second chance, and therefore more experimentation, not to mention more time to adapt a team’s draft and strategy.
Roster changes coming into summer have been announced, despite the short turnaround available to teams during the off-season. After a ninth place finish in spring following their Worlds win, DRX are making changes in both the AD Carry (ADC) and Mid Laner roles, in the hopes of at least making the playoffs this split. Seo "deokdam" Dae-gil, the former Dplus KIA (formerly DAMWON Gaming) ADC, has been moved to the bench as a substitute ADC, due to poor results and the apparent struggle for him to find synergy with Cho “BeryL” Geon-hee - the now two-time World Champion on two entirely separate rosters. As a result, DRX are also following suit. With a few of their counterparts in the LCK promoting their Academy ADCs, DRX have done the same with Park "Padeck" Seok-hyeon.
DRX are also promoting their Academy Mid Laner as well - Kang "Kyeahoo" Ye-hoo. After a tumultuous split, it makes sense to replace multiple players, and Yoo "FATE" Su-hyeok, while not given much time, struggled as much as his peers in the spring split. However, it’ll be interesting to see how a team copes with promoting not just one, but two rookies, with the intent of improving their performance for the latter half of the year and the all-important summer split, which offers a Worlds appearance. Korea is a region famous for its strong solo laners, with names like Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok, Kim "Khan" Dong-ha, and more recently Jeong "Chovy" Ji-hoon coming to mind. To bring in an inexperienced ADC is one thing, but to put “Kyeahoo” into the spotlight in the biggest role of the region, against some of the LCK’s most iconic names, could be the kind of pressure that makes or breaks a career. I for one hope he can show some promise.
The other big news comes from a Korean team known for their production of powerhouse ADCs - including current FlyQuest player Lee "Prince" Chae-hwan - who are making a change once more in that position. Dissatisfied with their position of sixth place in the recent spring split, Liiv SANDBOX (LSB) are making a change from their usual theme of gambling on a rookie for the ADC position, from “Prince” to Lee "Envyy" Myeong-joon, formerly of Gen.G Challengers. Now they’re seemingly looking for a bit of tenure and experience, signs that they’re truly vying for a spot at the top of the table. They seem to believe in former T1 player Park "Teddy" Jin-seong, who showed moments of promise in 2022, losing only to T1 after an impressive spring with Kwangdong Freecs, before falling prior to the playoffs in summer. A bounce back here with LSB, a journey to the playoffs, and the securement of a Worlds spot could help reignite “Teddy”’s career. In my opinion, he still has a lot left to show, and I hope that he uses this chance to prove that.
With the roster changes covered, I think that DRX’s gamble might present them with a hungrier roster that places closer to the middle of the pack. LSB have a chance to move up a few slots in the playoff bracket, and potentially compete for those coveted Worlds spots. However, I don’t think the top of the table will change all that much. Now that Kim "Peyz" Su-hwan has completed his golden road and taken Gen.G to MSI as Korea’s first seed, my money would be on them to repeat their spring split performance and win summer as well. T1’s results have been too inconsistent for me to bet on their victory, but they’ve performed well enough for me to expect them to be in the final.
My original expectations for the year - that Dplus KIA will be a slam dunk - have not come to fruition. Instead, as has been the case in recent years, Heo "ShowMaker" Su and Kim "Canyon" Geon-bu remain on a team that is yet again a dark horse. They have all the pieces and potential to challenge the top, but can they maintain their form and identity long enough to do so? The team that truly interests me is KT Rolster. If they can replicate their strength in spring and hopefully not fall short at the end, they could end up challenging the top-heavy nature of the entire league.
