Looking Back at the Highlights of Esports in 2024 Ahead of the New Year 2025
VCS Faces the Grim Reality of “32 Teams”
In the history of League of Legends or Esports in Vietnam, there seems to be no bigger event than the occurrence of “32 teams,” which will take place right after the conclusion of the LCK Spring 2024 group stage. Initial doubts quickly turned into a major drama, putting a halt to the global League of Legends competition. This is because, until now, major issues in the League of Legends community have only been discovered during lower-tier tournaments.
The current situation of VCS is quite concerning. Teams are struggling to maintain their competitive forms. Nevertheless, due to the efforts of involved parties, VCS completed the 2024 season facing significant challenges to prepare for the upcoming 2025 season with even more substantial obstacles ahead.
EWC 2024 – The First Esports World Cup in History
The year 2024 also marks the debut of the Esports World Cup – a tournament recognized by the organizers in Saudi Arabia as the “World Cup of Electronic Sports.” Not only is it a substantial prize pool, but the EWC also signifies a pivotal moment for Central Asian countries to start making strides into this booming industry.
While it has not yet been incorporated into the official esports game publishing systems, EWC 2024 has undoubtedly garnered significant attention. According to announcements from Saudi Arabia, future Esports development projects will continue to be implemented in the coming years, and top-tier teams globally, including T1 and Na’Vi, will be leading the charge.
The Departure of EGO
One of the major setbacks in VCS in 2024 is undoubtedly the abrupt exit of EGO – the former VCS champion and once famously known as “SofM’s successor.” At a time when they should have been thriving on the domestic and international stages, EGO’s sudden departure after a series of dramas left the community in shock.
It can be said that EGO’s departure genuinely caused a sense of regret across the Vietnamese League of Legends community. In just over a year, a team that once reached great heights can swiftly fall, and to this day, no one can accurately pinpoint the blame, leading to a collective sense of disappointment for such a talented lineup that also showcased several faults in the Vietnamese Esports scene.
PUBG Vietnam shines at the global stage
The year 2024 can be seen as a remarkable year for PUBG. In June, CERBERUS Esports emerged as champions of PGS 3, and the player Himass consistently earned the MVP title, marking the team as the best performing squad at the time. Notably, their victory was particularly dramatic as they faced a challenging opponent in Twisted Minds, reaching 34 points during the finals.
By the end of the year, PUBG Vietnam continued to make headlines by winning the PGC 2024 championship thanks to The Expendables. “Knowing how to adapt” created history as the first team from Vietnam to become the world champions in PUBG, achieving a significant milestone in the survival game arena.
The International “Silent” Edition
Since the emergence of the Compendium system, the DOTA 2 community has always taken pride in holding the largest prize pool in Esports history. Meanwhile, this factor has also contributed to the game’s continued significant appeal, even amidst the rise of titles like League of Legends, VALORANT along with the growing mobile gaming scene.
However, TI 2024 can be considered a rather… quiet edition. The champion team, Team Liquid, only created an impression through their presence with another victory in the background. The remarkable highlight for Vietnamese Esports was the national flag being carried by the Vietnamese player miCKe onto the stage.
A Disappointing Year for Liên Quân Mobile Vietnam
While League of Legends Vietnam has some remarkable achievements, PUBG has made history, and Liên Quân Mobile has also created headlines, albeit in an unwanted way. According to reports, the overall performance of Liên Quân Vietnam in 2024 was disappointing.
At both major tournaments in the global Liên Quân scene, the representatives from Vietnam experienced “disappointment.” It can be said that the Saigon Phantom team had a somewhat “ungrateful” attitude that frustrated fans after their failure at AIC 2024. This team later had to delete their post while still not publicly apologizing to their fans.
T1 Steals the Spotlight in Esports
In terms of achievements, it is challenging to find a team in the Esports landscape as prominent as T1 in 2024. Furthermore, they even received lower ratings than the previous year when they stepped into Worlds. Many people believe that with their current form, they should not be underestimated at the upcoming Faker, who no longer represents the hopes of the “World Championship house.”
However, despite the doubts, T1 showcased impressive performances, reversing their fortunes dramatically compared to the previous year. Faker became the FMVP, directly contributing to T1’s resurgence and leading this team back to the throne of the World Championship.
T1’s achievements can be considered the most outstanding breakthrough in Esports worldwide in 2024, and it seems there won’t be any other team or individual capable of achieving this again.
