Buzz
LPL receives ample support to participate in MSI 2022 online, sparking heated discussions within the LoL community regarding past VCS situations.
On the evening of April 21st (Vietnam time), Riot officially announced LPL's participation in MSI 2022. As everyone knows, the COVID-19 situation in China is still complex, affecting not only domestic tournaments but also international events. There have been rumors that LPL might switch to online play or even skip MSI 2022 due to insufficient time for preparation amidst their commitments to the LPL Summer 2022 and subsequent events.
Riot has officially allowed LPL representatives to compete online while all other teams gather in Busan, South Korea. Furthermore, Riot will provide full support in terms of equipment and personnel to ensure that LPL representatives can compete under the best conditions. It's evident that Riot understands how LPL's absence could impact the tournament's quality.
However, intense debates have erupted within the LoL forums regarding this situation. Korean LoL fans were among the first to voice their opinions. The majority of opinions from the LCK argue that Riot demonstrates favoritism between Major regions and smaller regions, citing the case of VCS. Vietnamese teams have been sidelined from international tournaments for two consecutive seasons, significantly affecting both teams and players in the VCS.
On the other hand, some fans argue that Riot's support for LPL is reasonable. Firstly, the geographical distance from Shanghai to Busan is shorter than from Ho Chi Minh City to Busan. Secondly, during those years, while domestic leagues in these regions operated normally, VCS encountered numerous difficulties. Particularly, VCS had to cancel the entire Summer 2021 split due to the overly complex pandemic situation.
However, the 2022 season may mark VCS's comeback to the international LoL arena after years of absence. Upon their return, the teams' mission remains to strive for the best possible results for the Vietnamese LoL scene.
