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At Worlds 2023, the final matches of the first stage - Play-In - are starting. There are 4 teams in the race for 2 slots in the group stage, including Team Whales and GAM Esports.
Both teams have shown very good League of Legends play at the Play-In and are deservedly here. The only thing separating them from the group stage is Bo5.
Let's try to find out which of the Whales/GAM pair will be stronger and make it to the group stage of the most important esports event of the autumn.
Let's go.
GAM Esports uniforms
Let's open the match analysis with the analysis of GAM Esports form. The first number one of the Vietnamese league VCS will play here.
GAM Esports is one of the most titled teams in Vietnam with 5 wins in regional splits and several top 2 home league titles. At the last event, VCS Dawn 2023, GAM Esports had a very strong run in the play-offs, winning the group 14-0 in the series. GAM played well in the play-offs itself, giving up a total of 4 maps in 3 series.
Vietnam (VCS) - My region with an asterisk. Teams from there are capable of putting up a fight against the world's top League of Legends clubs, as demonstrated by GAM Esports during Worlds 2017, 2019, and even at Worlds 2022.
The peak of performance on the international stage remains 2017. That's when GAM Esports finished in the top 6 at the 2017 Mid-Season Invitational.
To repeat the success of 2017, it is mandatory to beat Rainbow7 in the upcoming confrontation. Everything seems to be in place for that to happen.
- GAM Esports lineup: Kiaya, Levi, Kati, Sty1e, Zin .
GAM has the top performers by VCS standards, which is confirmed by the club's performance at home. However, they didn't help GAM to beat a more titled opponent, namely Golden Guardians, with whom GAM played in the first round of Play-In MSI 2023 and lost without much chance.
All in all, MSI 2023 ended very badly for GAM Esports. After losing in the first round, the Vietnamese unexpectedly defeated Rainbow7 in the first round of the lower grid, and therefore ignominiously left the championship at the Top 12.
The team made it to Worlds 2023 thanks to a win at the home VCS Dusk 2023. In the grand finals they easily beat Team Whales with a score of 3-1.
In the debut match at Worlds 2023 Gam Esports played against LOUD. The Brazilians proved to be stronger, although GAM put up a fight. The match ended with a score of 0-2 not in favour of GAM.
In the previous round GAM defeated Rainbow7. They defeated them on class (2-0), without giving space on any of the maps.
In the previous match, GAM Esports played against the titular Brazilians LOUD. Being the underdog they showed class and closed the series with a 2-0 score, sending one of the favourites of the Play-In stage home.
GAM Esports' most popular champions
Aatrox (3 matches, 100% wins) and Renekton (3 matches, 66% wins) are the most frequently sent to the top line.
Sejuani (3 matches, 100% winrate) and Lee Sin (3 matches, 66% wins) are the most frequently played among the foresters.
Ahri/Jayce (7 games, 85% win rate) is the centre line.
Among shooters, Kaisa/Xayah (6 matches, 50% wins) are favoured.
And in the backline, the usual Nautilus (8 matches, 75% wins).
Team Whales uniform
We continue the match analysis with the analysis of Team Whales' form. In this match they will have to play the second number.
Team Whales are the second team of the VCS. On top of that, they are absolute newcomers to the competitive scene, as 2023 was actually the debut season for the club.
Actually, they appeared in 2022, but then they played only at VCS Summer 2022, where they finished in the top 5.
- Team Whales roster: Sparda, BeanJ, Gloryy, Artemis, CBL, Bie.
In 2023 the situation became better. If in the spring of 2023 it was TOP-4, then in the summer of the same year the team got TOP-2 at VCS Summer 2023, Ledgeiv in the grand final of GAM Esports with a score of 0-2, but got a slot at the Play-In.
In their first match at Worlds 2023, Team Whales pulled off a mini-sensation. They managed to roll over not the top players, but still the Europeans from BDS. And they did it after the first lost maps.
Team Whales got here after a willful victory over CTBC Flying Oyster. After losing the first map, they managed to comeback on the second and third maps, thus getting a slot on Play-In #2.
Most Popular Team Whales Champions
The most popular character on the top line is Gnar (12 matches, 75% wins), KSante (5 matches, 40% wins), Ornn (4 matches, 75% wins), Sion (4 matches, 50% wins).
Sejuani (9 matches, 11% wins), Vi (7 matches, 85% wins), Elise (4 games, 75% wins) appear most often in the forest.
Azir (9 games, 55% wins), Sylas (5 matches, 80% wins), Kassadin (5 matches, 80% wins), Akali (4 matches, 100% wins) appear on the centre line.
Shooters are chosen as standard: Zeri (11 matches, 63% wins), Varus (7 matches, 42% wins), Caitlyn (7 games, 57% wins), Lucian (5 matches, 80% wins).
Among the supporting heroes Lulu (10 games, 70% wins), Heimerdinger (7 matches, 42% wins), Lux (6 matches, 66% wins), and also Nami (4 matches, 75% wins).
Head-to-head history
Whales and GAM have played several times within the home VCS. Statistics are on the side of GAM: the first team of Vietnam has won 4 matches out of 5.
Predicted result of the match GAM Esports - Team Whales at Worlds 2023
As healthy as the Whales have been moving through the tournament, their path should come to a scrap at this stage. Perhaps GAM is the most uncomfortable opponent for the Whales and they will not be able to fight with statistics: GAM will close the series, although it is not excluded that Whales will fight and take at least a point.
Bottom line: 3-1 win for GAM Esports.
