I had a conversation with Impact, the experienced top laner of Team Liquid, right after their devastating 0-3 defeat against Top Esports during MSI 2024. He spoke candidly and took full responsibility without trying to justify their loss. Ultimately, he believed that the opposing team deserved the victory.
Despite FlyQuest’s disastrous performance in the Play-Ins stage, eliminating them from the tournament, Team Liquid remains North America’s only hope at MSI this year. However, based on their initial results at MSI 2024, it seems that those hopes may not be very promising.
Despite putting up a fight in Game 1, Team Liquid ultimately succumbed to domination by Top Esports. The following two games were completely one-sided, with few moments of hope for Team Liquid throughout the series.
Sadly, Impact also conceded. As he guided me through his mistakes against Top Esports, he expressed regret for his performance.
Impact took the blame for many of Team Liquid’s shortcomings
Impact has been a professional player for a significant amount of time, and his longevity in the industry can be attributed to his analytical thinking. Having personally interviewed him multiple times, I have observed that he vocalizes his thoughts as a means of organizing them. Whenever asked about a particular aspect of the game, he is able to recall every minor detail, immersing himself back into the moment.
It can be difficult to witness his thought process, as he constantly berates himself over even the smallest mistakes in a defeat. His frustrations after each match often lead him to blame himself, finding ways to justify it in any situation I inquire about.
He had numerous reflections on the beginning of Game 2. During this match, he continuously died as Rumble, which was a rare occurrence for the top laner known for his exceptional performance in the LCS. He believes that this was due to a single miscommunication with UmTi.
Xin Zhao initially went to the top lane after doing red buff, while Rek’Sai was clearing the raptors. I predicted that 369 would struggle after our level 2 trade, as I had dealt a significant amount of damage to him with my E three times. It seemed like he needed assistance. We could see Xin Zhao at the raptors, so I anticipated that Rek’Sai would come to help 369. If Xin Zhao didn’t come, 369 would continue to struggle and eventually fall behind. I didn’t specifically call for a gank, but I did mention the situation to my team. In hindsight, I regret not being more assertive and calling for a fast kill. It was my mistake.
“I believe UmTi chose to gank top lane because he felt confident in his ability to counter Xin Zhao. However, I regret not calling for him to come sooner because it could have resulted in [369] dying. This would have put their team in a difficult situation and given UmTi more freedom to make plays. I take responsibility for not communicating effectively, but I also feel that UmTi should have recognized the situation and either focused on farming or joined in for the gank. I provided feedback to him in hopes of avoiding a similar situation in the future, but looking back, it was actually a great opportunity for us. (laughs)“Despite initially expressing frustration, Impact eventually laughed it off and reassured that it
“I take responsibility for the death that occurred after. I was aware that Xin Zhao would likely return to the top lane to try and eliminate me. In hindsight, I should have prevented UmTi from basing and instructed him to join me instead. It was clear that the enemy duo was planning to gank before clearing their jungle, and I failed to communicate this effectively. My overall performance in this situation was inadequate, including my use of teleportation.”
The players of Impact also believed that they could have handled the lane swaps more effectively, and suggested that Team Liquid should have taken a more proactive approach instead of simply reacting to them.
“He suggested that we attempt to match, invade, and play more aggressively in the beginning stages of the game.”
Team Liquid struggled to find advantages, and unfortunately, the opportunities they did come across were not utilized effectively, as stated by Impact.
The never-ending path to self improvement
Upon reflecting on their performance against Top Esports, Impact acknowledged that Top Esports was simply the superior team on that particular day. He also mentioned that Team Liquid’s struggles with adjusting to the laneswap meta were a contributing factor.
“I admit that as a team, we are not better than them,”he said. “For instance, they are more skilled at initiating fights and taking control of a Herald situation, while we tend to become disorganized. If we hesitate for 5 or 10 seconds, they are able to capitalize on it. We need to act quickly in these situations, and I believe that’s why we are falling behind. Additionally, their ability to execute laneswaps is superior to ours. We may gain an advantage, but we struggle to fully utilize it,”Impact explained.
In general, our team prioritizes teamfighting. However, in terms of mindgames, their individual skills are superior. This does not pertain to any specific aspect, but rather their overall strategic approach to the game.
Nevertheless, this mindset is integral to his efforts in becoming a stronger player, following his experience with FlyQuest last year.
Impact was open to sharing his insights about his team’s failed performance in 2023, and he offered valuable insights into his self-criticism this year.
Personally, I have always been someone who prioritizes self-improvement. However, in [2024], I made a conscious effort to become a better teammate. I realized that being kind and constructive with my feedback is more effective than being aggressive and critical. If I lash out, my teammates are likely to respond with aggression as well. Therefore, I am actively working on fixing this issue and striving to be a better version of myself both on and off the field.
Despite not achieving the desired outcome in their initial MSI match, Team Liquid’s gameplay demonstrates the strong bond within the team. Impact’s strategy appears to be effective and there is optimism that the team will continue to enhance their cohesion without encountering the same internal conflicts that FlyQuest has experienced. This lineup has the potential for international triumph, even if they have not yet reached their ultimate goal.
Despite this, Team Liquid remains a contender at MSI 2024 and has the opportunity to make a comeback in the lower bracket. Nonetheless, they will need to put in a significant amount of effort in order to defeat the top teams at this tournament.
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