League of Legends Worlds 2024: GAM Esports, Marines Facing Krakens (6/20)

The League of Legends 2024 World Championship kicks off in Berlin on the 25th of September. A total of 20 teams will compete to succeed T1 at the top of the Riot Games MOBA world hierarchy. On this occasion, Sheep Esports brings you a daily feature on one of the teams taking part. This September 10th, the sixth episode of our series focuses on GAM Esports, VCS first seed.

GAM Esports is the most dominant team in the Vietnam Championship Series (VCS). They have secured their 11th VCS championship and 6th consecutive title in 2024. Uncontested for three years since their victory in the Spring 2022 season, GAM is also the most crowned organization in VCS history. Internationally, they are also the most experienced Vietnamese team, with three appearances at the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) and, now, five Worlds qualifications. This year's one marks another milestone since their first appearance in 2017.

Last offseason, GAM made a few roster changes. They signed new midlaner Nguyễn "Emo" Thái Vinh along with support Phạm "Elio" Thạch Nhân Băng, and still managed to dominate Spring split playoffs despite a few losses. They actually had to go through a looser bracket run as Vikings Esports (VKE), their main rival of the year, took them down once in the first round of playoffs. Eventually, there has been a rematch in a very tight final with games averaging 37 minutes, but it was GAM that finally lifted the trophy, once again.

Summer season will follow almost the same script, except GAM never lost any games through playoffs. They once again faced VKE twice, beating them 3-2 and 3-0 with excellent performance from Trần "Kiaya" Duy Sang who earned finals MVP. He and Đỗ "Levi" Duy Khánh have been part of the roster since May 2018 and May 2019, respectively. They have experienced all of the team's recent successes and are its main architects. The toplaner has been more than decent on meta picks like Renekton and even Aurora - before she was disabled in Summer - while Levi is more engage/ap carries-oriented with his signature picks Shyvana and Lillia. For sure, all of their opponents must keep an eye on topside.

However, Easylove is also a player to look after. As he was part of Rainbow Warriors, he ended the spring split in a shocking 0-12 despite being the only player of this roster not to be involved in the match fixing drama that hitted the region, he came to this more serious team for Spring Playoffs and proved he was way better than what he showed earlier in the season. He started playing hypercarry picks like Draven and Zeri to win its first title this year and qualify to MSI. Showing extreme resilience and being close to a short career for his mates mistakes, he is now a player that went to MSI and Worlds 2024. Who knows where his story will end heading into the competition?

Back in the days, the VCS region sent its first seed directly to the group stage at Worlds. This is only the second time GAM is going through Play-In, since last year's change of format. Indeed, both teams from VCS have to go through Play-In this year again. GAM is actually a team that has consistently been eliminated pretty early in the tournament but that always managed to upset a few games against favourites. Excluding their run through Play-In last year, their overall track-record at Worlds is 5-17 which obviously makes them pretty weak in regards to teams from other regions.

GAM Esports made their Worlds debut in 2017, finishing 2-4 in the Group Stage with wins against Fnatic and Immortals. In 2019, they returned with a 1-5 record, securing a single victory over J Team. Due to COVID-19, GAM was unable to attend Worlds in 2020 and 2021 despite qualifying, as the VCS faced travel restrictions and a cancelled split.

In 2022, GAM went 1-5 again but managed an impressive win against Top Esports. In 2023, they fought through Play-Ins, defeating Rainbow7, LOUD, and Team Whales to reach the Swiss stage, where they took a game off Team Liquid. As they head to Worlds 2024, GAM remains a strong Tier 2 team aiming to break past the Play-In stage once more.

You'll find below the 5-man roster of GAM Esports:

GAM will face off against Fukuoka HAWKS Gaming, the PCS 2nd seed, in their debut match of Round 1 in the Play-In stage.