The first round of the
LCP Split 1 Playoffs has come to a close, marking the
elimination of the league’s undisputed champions,
CTBC Flying Oyster. Having won all three splits since the league’s inception, their defeat at the hands of Ground Zero Gaming is set to usher in a new era for the league, cutting a path for a new challenger to emerge as First Stand approaches.
Though the year is far from over, recent results only serve to highlight CFO’s difficulties in adapting following
the departure of Yu "JunJia” Chun-Chia and Tsai “HongQ” Ming-Hong to the LPL’s JD Gaming—a move that has deprived the organization of two of its strongest and most iconic members. With the season only just beginning, the Taiwanese organization now faces a major challenge ahead, where changes may be needed to rise back to its former glory days.
Worrying Signs and Disappointment for CFO
“We do not wish to be the new Flash Wolves—we want to be the Flying Oyster,” were the words of head coach Wong “Chawy” Xing Lei last year, at the peak of CFO’s level. Unfortunately for him, all who rise must one day fall, and the Oysters now find themselves facing their toughest challenge yet. With only two remaining members from last year’s iconic roster—
the first from the APAC region to reach the Worlds quarterfinals in 10 years—the road back to the top appears steeper than ever.
Tragically, the result of today’s match against Ground Zero reveals nothing surprising for the Oysters. Having only narrowly made playoffs with a 3–4 record in best-of-threes, the new blood of the team has paled in comparison to their predecessors and struggled to adapt. A rather inconsistent mid-jungle duo between former LPL champion Zhao “Shad0w” Zhi-Qiang
and Korean rookie Lee “Pungyeon” Jong-hyuk, alongside a seemingly lost Chiu “2274” Chang-En—who was ironically outmatched by GZ’s support Kuo “Orca” Cheng-Han, the very player he was set to replace and
who was originally supposed to be CFO’s support this year—left CFO looking completely unrecognizable from last season.
Today, the only true shining light of the roster remains Chiu “Doggo” Tzu-Chuan, who already made waves last year at Worlds and prior. On the other side of the map, Hsu “Rest” Shih-Chieh has remained a steady pillar for the team, though he too has struggled so far, and the flexibility
he once shared with fellow toplaner
Shen “Driver” Tsung-Hua—as part of last year’s six-man rotation—is sorely missed in this new iteration of CFO.
What’s Next in the LCP Playoffs?
Though CFO’s story in Split 1 ends here, the year still lies ahead of them, with two more splits—and now a break—to regroup and improve ahead of the challenges to come. Only time will tell if the squad can find its rhythm again and resolve its issues. For now, the playoffs continue, with more exciting matches on the horizon as the league enters its double-elimination phase, looking to crown its champion ahead of First Stand.
With Vietnam’s historic GAM Esports also knocked out, the LCP moves forward with its next slate of matches beginning February 14. The remaining field features Vietnam’s dominant Team Secret Whales, Taiwan’s promising newcomers Deep Cross Gaming, but also Japan’s wild cards Fukuoka SoftBank HAWKS Gaming—who eliminated GAM earlier this week—alongside Ground Zero Gaming, the Australian organization fielding a Taiwanese roster that has just dethroned the reigning champions.
