The champions of the 2022 LCK summer are currently in a very strong state, pushed onto greater heights by their rivalries within the LCK, potentially reaching their best form yet leading up to the biggest event of the year. But are they strong enough to bring back Korea’s lost glory at Worlds 2022?
A big portion of Gen.G’s success in LCK Summer 2022 came from the team’s adaptability to the meta alongside their strong communication. If they manage to keep up their progress, Gen.G will undeniably be one of the strongest teams heading into Worlds 2022 — realistically very capable of winning the entire event.
Go “Score” Dong-bin, the head coach of Gen.G, stated “we always knew the players were very skilled. So when we were setting up for the summer season, we tried various bans to adapt to the meta.”
Won “Mafa” Sang-yeon, coach of Gen.G, added “every team tries their best. But what distinguishes [Gen.G] from the rest is our players manage to trust in each other.”
This may sound cliché, but any viewer who has watched Gen.G play throughout the LCK 2022 Summer Split knows these statements to be true. The players trust each other, allowing for very consistent objective control, all the while strategically adapting their picks to the meta — rightfully earning their title as the strongest team in Korea.
Park ‘Ruler’ Jae-hyuk won Worlds prior, in what he claims to be in less optimal form than he is in now.
When referring to 2017, the season he won Worlds, Ruler stated, “back then, I didn’t make plays on my own, and rather followed up on my teammates’ calls. But now, I direct a lot of the plays as well as adjust to the plays my teammates call.”
If he’s able to keep up his current form, Ruler believes “[he] will win a lot of the bottom lane matchups and win many games with [his] team.”
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Leading up to the LCK finals, Gen.G tasted defeat at the hands of T1 on multiple occasions. Failures make for the greatest lessons — a lesson each member of Gen.G learned in one form or another.
These defeats undoubtedly motivated Gen.G to grow. It all but made overcoming T1 one of Gen.G’s unanimous goals and in doing so, Gen.G reached peak form — currently unparalleled in the LCK.
Though not every member of Gen.G’s roster today was a part of the team through its long history against T1, individual members still had their own personal vendettas.
“I got blocked by T1 a lot in my professional career, but I managed to beat them 3-0. So I feel great,” Jeong ‘Chovy’ Ji-hoon stated to the press.
Han ‘Peanut’ Wang-ho also chimed in: “Against a team like T1, it’s not easy to go 3-0. We managed to focus and prepare well to do so.”
Winning against T1 undoubtedly took a huge weight off the team’s shoulders. But with that weight now gone, there may be less to motivate the players. Beating T1 was a personal grudge for many members of Gen.G, one which was far more tangible and immediate than an uphill battle which would be winning Worlds.
The biggest mistake Gen.G could make at this point would be to relax. If Gen.G manages to motivate themselves as much as they did to fight against T1 and win the LCK Summer Split, they will certainly be able to compete against the LPL teams — who will likely be the biggest threats against Gen.G on the Worlds stage.
