TL Impact Makes No Excuses After Loss to Top Esports at MSI 2024: "They're Just Smarter"

With FlyQuest's disappointing performance in the Play-Ins stage eliminating them from the tournament, North America's aspirations at MSI this year hinge entirely on Team Liquid. However, judging by their initial showing at MSI 2024, those aspirations seem bleak.

Team Liquid didn't just suffer defeats; they faced utter domination. While Game 1 remained competitive until Top Esports seized control, Games 2 and 3 were one-sided affairs. There were few moments in the series where victory seemed within reach.

Regrettably, Impact concurred. As he reflected on his performance and outlined the shortcomings against Top Esports, his disappointment was palpable.

Impact took responsibility for numerous shortcomings within Team Liquid

Impact's longevity as a professional player can be attributed in part to his methodical approach to the game. In my interactions with him over the years, I've observed how he verbalizes his thoughts, using it as a tool to dissect and analyze his gameplay. Each question about a game scenario triggers a cascade of memories, allowing him to recall even the minutest details.

This introspective process can be emotionally taxing to witness, particularly when Impact harshly critiques himself for minor errors in a loss. After the recent set, he was quick to shoulder the blame whenever possible.

For example, he delved into his thoughts on the start of Game 2. Throughout this match, he struggled on Rumble, an unusual occurrence for the top-tier LCS player. Impact recounted a moment of miscommunication with UmTi.

"I called out that Xin Zhao came top through red first because Rek'Sai was doing raptors," he recalled. "So I expected Rek'Sai was gonna come because we could see Xin Zhao at the raptors. But I didn’t call in the original call, 'Come fast so we can kill him.' I just said what the situation was." Reflecting on this, he regretted his failure to make the decisive call, attributing it to his mistake.

“It’s my bad actually after that death. I knew Xin Zhao was gonna come topside again to try and kill me. UmTi was basing, and I think that’s my bad. I should cancel his base and tell him to come up, it’s too obvious that he and this guy are looking to gank first and then clear jungle. I think that whole situation was my bad, that whole thing. I didn’t call strongly. My TP play, this too was bad.”

Impact expressed dissatisfaction with Team Liquid's response to lane swaps, feeling they could have handled them more effectively. Rather than merely reacting to the swaps, he believed they should have taken a proactive approach.

"I think we should try matching, try invading, try more active play in the early game," he suggested.

In his assessment, Team Liquid struggled to capitalize on opportunities and failed to make optimal use of the openings they did manage to find.

The never-ending path to self improvement

When reflecting on the match against Top Esports, Impact acknowledged that Top Esports simply outperformed Team Liquid on the day. He also identified Team Liquid's struggles with adapting to the laneswap meta as a contributing factor to their difficulties.

"I think we are not better than them as a team," he conceded. "For example, they’d force a fight, flip a Herald situation or something, but we would get confused. If we got confused for 5 or 10 seconds, they get something more. We have to rush in these situations, and I think that’s why we’re falling behind. I think they’re also better set up to laneswap. We get something, but we don’t use our advantage," Impact elaborated.

"In general, we try to focus on teamfighting. But they’re individually better players when it comes to mind games. Not in any single thing, they’re just smarter in how they play."

However, this introspective approach stems from Impact's desire to improve as a player, particularly after the disappointing outcome with FlyQuest last year.

Impact was forthcoming about the lessons he gleaned from FlyQuest's challenging 2023 run, shedding light on why he's holding himself to such high standards this year.

“Personally… I’m trying to focus on myself more. I’m always like that, but… In [2024], I wanted to be a better person to my teammates. I try to be more nice with feedback. If you’re aggressive and you flame, then they normally don’t take that feedback. If you decide to be aggressive, they’re going to bounce back with aggression too, you know? So I’m trying to fix this kind of thing, I think that was a problem last year for me. I’m trying to be a better person and focus more on my game.”

Despite the setback in their initial MSI outing, Team Liquid's camaraderie shines through, showcasing a tightly-knit unit. Impact's self-reflective approach could prove beneficial, potentially averting internal tensions that plagued FlyQuest in the past. While the current roster may not be at their desired level yet, there's optimism that they can refine their teamwork and elevate their performance on the international stage.

As Team Liquid progresses in MSI 2024, there's still a chance for them to embark on a lower bracket journey. However, they'll need to address areas of improvement to challenge the tournament's top contenders effectively.