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Between Saigon Buffalo getting knocked out throughout Play-Ins and GAM’s rocky begin to the Group Stage, Vietnam hasn’t had the most effective luck at Worlds 2022. We requested GAM Levi in regards to the energy of his area and his first Worlds since 2019.
Vietnam is a area outlined by their daring strategy to each drafting and preventing in-game. They combat to the very finish, and that spirit has carried by way of the event for each their representatives.
GAM had been form sufficient to allow us to interview Đỗ ‘Levi’ Duy Khánh throughout their “off days”. Certain, they weren’t competing, however all of the gamers had been nonetheless exhausting at work working towards. We’re grateful for the time he spent speaking with us forward of their remaining video games within the Group Stage at Worlds 2022.
The chance to speak with GAM throughout a small break of their apply gave us a view of what most individuals don’t see: their apply room.
It was a lodge room, reserved and modified for the only objective of being a apply room for the gamers. Gamers and coaches had been all in shut proximity, working collectively to enhance. Sticky notes had been plastered to the partitions and lampshades from fixed notes made for and/or by every participant.
Somebody circled in a chair that had a jacket draped over it, a jacket that learn: Levi.
GAM Levi drops the coaching weights at Worlds
Between scrims and different obligations, GAM has a packed schedule throughout their time right here. Levi chatted with us for a bit and went proper again to his PC to proceed working towards by way of the day. Even after speaking to us and taking part in solo queue, they’d a very booked schedule till at the very least 10PM with scrims and staff conferences.
And, although Levi is a beloved participant by many for his glorious play by way of the years, he was adamant about the truth that everybody round him was exhausting at work to offer GAM their best possible likelihood at profitable.
“As you realize, for the staff to be on the highest of our area, we want quite a lot of components. We’d like everybody on the staff to pitch in and contribute, and I feel my share is just a small contribution. We have now help from the staff supervisor, and individuals who work behind the scenes as properly.”
Onerous work is an absolute necessity for Vietnam to compete internationally. Each staff has their very own hill to climb, however Vietnam’s break from worldwide competitors places them at a drawback in additional methods than one. There’s loads working towards every Vietnamese team relating to worldwide play.
Saigon Buffalo had been knocked out earlier in Worlds, and GAM are the one VCS staff remaining. Don’t let that confuse you into considering Vietnam is a weak area, although.
Levi’s has been all the way in which to the highest of Korean Challenger, one thing that’s a feat all its personal. Nonetheless, there’s extra to it than that. Him and lots of of his teammates have constantly sat close to Challenger on Korean servers, even with excessive ping proscribing their potential to play.
“Once we play in Korean solo queue, we get matched towards the highest gamers from Korea and China, that does enhance our ability. However we additionally play in exhausting mode after we play on Korean servers.”
“In Korea, they’ve 8 ping or decrease. We have now 80. So we’re at a deficit already, and now we have to strive even tougher to win.”
At worldwide competitors, Levi and the remainder of GAM get to drop their coaching weights. They already play towards the likes of Faker and Ruler in solo queue on 80 ping, and LAN occasions are a possibility to stage the taking part in subject.
As soon as the jet lag passes, that’s.
“I really feel like, within the first 2-3 days we arrived, we had extreme jet lag. After that, our efficiency in scrims turned higher, and I feel we had first rate leads to scrims. However our leads to apply haven’t translated to our efficiency on stage but, and now we have extra to do.”
As if all that wasn’t sufficient, GAM has one other impediment to beat: The meta.
Sticking to their weapons
On the floor, meta learn doesn’t seem to be a giant concern for Vietnam. Their topside could be very properly adjusted to supportive junglers and prime laners that wish to commerce, and Kati is able to taking part in a reasonably broad pool of mid laners. The issue comes from the help meta.
In Vietnam, help gamers largely keep on with exhausting interact. They dictate the tempo of the sport and sometimes begin fights. Whereas enchanters could appear “simpler” on paper, altering your complete staff dynamic in a single day isn’t potential.
“Our draft will not be essentially the most appropriate to the meta. However it’s most fitted to our staff, our strengths. It’s nonetheless playable, however we’ve undoubtedly made some errors in-game.”
So, as a substitute of fixing the way in which they play and drafting for enchanters like Yuumi, they’re sticking to their technique and striving to excellent it. An strategy that has its justifiable share of advantages and disadvantages.
We requested Levi whether or not the VCS’ repute for being an explosive league with fixed preventing was a energy or a weak spot.
“It is a double-edged sword in a approach. Due to this playstyle the place we combat loads, the frequency of us having to make large selections will increase loads as properly. In all of those large selections, for those who mess up one, you throw the entire recreation.”
“If we’re in a position to excellent our recreation and make higher selections in these key moments, this might develop into a big strength for our region.”
Vietnamese groups haven’t had the time to chop their tooth on groups from extremely robust areas just like the LPL and LCK. Solo queue could be very completely different from scrims and stage video games.
Whereas GAM’s playstyle has quite a lot of potential, it additionally comes with much more danger than operating an enchanter and stalling fights. One fallacious transfer, and also you lose. One thing that’s occurred to GAM a number of occasions on the event.
On paper, it appears like GAM acquired decimated in each recreation. In apply, they made one mistake in every recreation that put them extremely far behind.
And, even from that place, the person ability stage of every participant on GAM was so excessive that they made teamfights look shut. GAM’s place is a troublesome one to be in, however they’re dealing with the strain with grace.
Levi’s legacy
Levi has performed all around the globe. From his time on 100 Thieves in North America, to a short stint on JDG earlier than coming again to GAM in Vietnam, his profession has made him a globe-trotting professional with extra expertise than most experts.
Even then, he may nonetheless have a look at esports as a fan. What began as a dream has develop into actuality, and Levi was glad that he’s been in a position to be part of it for thus lengthy.
“As a fan of esports who went on to play professionally, I’m actually glad and excited to see esports develop to this stage. As knowledgeable participant, I really feel much more proud. I’m somebody who’s made small contributions to develop esports into what it’s right now.”
GAM’s odds of creating it out of the Group Stage aren’t nice. Even when they win all three of their matches, they’ll should drive a tiebreaker to have an opportunity at transferring on. However they aren’t going to make it simple for the opposite groups of their group.
Levi and the remainder of GAM have followers around the globe at their again, with “Captain Levi” getting spammed the second he walks on stage. And, for these followers, Levi disregarded his English and gave a direct, untranslated message to these supporting him.
“I wish to say to my followers around the globe: Thanks guys for cheering for us, and I hope you guys will proceed cheering for us this week.”
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