With only a few days left, MSI 2024 will officially begin with matches in the Play-In round. This year, the Kick-off round is expected to be more attractive and thrilling, with the presence of a series of powerful teams like T1 or Top Esports. However, with T1, TES, Fnatic… only having to meet weaker teams many times, it is likely that the strong teams expected will still fully participate in the group stage. At this MSI, teams like T1 or Bilibili Gaming are still considered candidates for the title. However, there is one extremely strong opponent that no one can ignore: Gen.G – the reigning LCK champion.
Gen.G will still come to MSI 2024 as the brightest candidate for the championship
With strong lineup changes, Gen.G will be the brightest candidate for this year's championship. They have a stable Top Lane, Canyon is very experienced in fighting, Chovy is considered the best Mid Laner in the world today while Peyz and Lehends are a combination of youth and experience. It can be said that Gen.G has a comprehensive squad. But there is one factor that is making it difficult for them: psychological problems.
Gen.G owns the most comprehensive squad today
All 5 members of Gen.G currently have been playing for many years, and the least experienced is probably Peyz. However, all 5 members had poor performances at important times. For example, Kiin's “reverse tunneling” in the match against T1, or Canyon's “choke” at Worlds 2022 – a Worlds where he and Dplus KIA were almost able to overcome Gen.G in the Quarterfinals. Lehends is a Support that is rich in mutations but also often has rush situations. Peyz was completely “shut down” by Gumayusi in the 2024 LCK Spring finals. But the most worrying thing is Chovy's position.
But maybe Chovy will be the biggest weakness
Chovy is currently the best Mid Laner in the LCK, with his 4th consecutive championship. It's the same in the world as Chovy is still one of the best Mid Laners today. But there's one important thing: Chovy has never won an international title, from MSI to Worlds. Not to mention, Worlds 2022 is the first and only time until now that Chovy has reached the Semi-finals of an international tournament. At last year's MSI, Gen.G was defeated by T1 in the Quarterfinals and was defeated by BLG in the loser's bracket.
When Chovy went international, it always performed poorly
No one can explain why Chovy-LCK and Chovy-international are so different from each other. But clearly, this may have also created a certain psychological pressure for the Mid Lane of the reigning LCK champions. Worth mentioning, at last year's World Championship, Gen.G's best performance was just the win against T1. On the other hand, right after passing the Swiss round with good results, Gen.G was completely defeated by BLG in a match where this team did not show that they had the appearance of champions.
At Worlds 2023 last year, Gen.G's best achievement was defeating T1 in the Swiss round.
Not to mention, every time they set foot at an international tournament, the audience always looks at Chovy with expectation. Experts and any player must admit that Gen.G is the number 1 candidate for every tournament they attend. And that is probably the invisible pressure that makes Chovy and his teammates always play extremely hard, far different from themselves in the LCK.
Invisible pressure from failures at past international tournaments may continue to weigh heavily on Chovy
Of course, being an outstanding player, and being expected to become a monument to the new generation of superstars after Faker, psychological pressures are something that Chovy probably also understands that he has to face. The only thing is, can he overcome it or is it still just a regret? Perhaps only when MSI 2024 starts will the audience get the answer.
https://gamek.vn/geng-kha-nang-van-trang-tay-tai-msi-2024-boi-vi-chinh-chovy-178240428005407701.chn