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T1 and Gen.G go into this weekend's semi-finals, each team with their own set of mental blocks. Given the high stakes for all players and organizations involved, the outcome of this series may hinge on which team can successfully navigate past their red herring.
Gen.G has not progressed past this international tournament's round in their history despite a solid record domestically. After winning LCK in the spring, and getting narrowly defeated in the playoff finals in the summer after an almost perfect regular split, Gen.G swept through the Swiss stage 3-0. Nevertheless, and without taking anything away from their North American counterparts, signs of weakness started to appear during their quarter-final game against FlyQuest. They narrowly won 3-2, which had the potential to be arguably the greatest upset in Worlds history.
Despite never winning Worlds, this was Chovy's 5th quarter-final appearance in as many attempts. Source: Lolesports.com
On the other hand, T1 has been defeated in their last 10 meetings against Gen.G, with their most recent victory dating back to over a year ago at the 2023 Mid-Season Invitational and was 1 loss away from not qualifying for this year's tournament after what was considered a disappointing domestic showing. Nevertheless, at Worlds, T1 has established a pattern of consistently advancing to at least the semi-finals, having reached 2 finals in the past 2 years and emerging victorious in one. The 4th seed from Korea has fully embraced this Worlds tournament and appears to be the most formidable team up to this point, impressively sweeping Top Esports 3-0 in the quarter-finals.
T1 appears to be a whole new team compared to how they performed in the summer. Source: lolesports.com
Esports Psychology
I spoke with Joar Svensson, Head of Research at the Association of Esport Psychology, to gain a deeper understanding of the potential mental obstacles both teams may encounter in this weekend's semi-final match.
Please note that the feedback provided is purely based on speculation since there are limitations to what can be understood solely from surface-level observations, and without engaging in direct conversations with the players.
Self-Efficacy
When players repeatedly experience defeat at the hands of a particular team, or tournament your self-efficacy, defined as your belief in your capability to perform a specific task, is likely to diminish compared to other scenarios. Having low self-efficacy could lead to the players being hesitant to perform in the same way they have in past games.
This can impact a player's decision-making and changing their mindset is not a simple task for players. Naturally, It is crucial for both teams to have a solid game plan moving forward into the series, both tactically and mentally. To win, T1 and Gen.G need to move on from their past defeats and setbacks and concentrate on the current situation.
To overcome the mental blocks and have a more positive self-efficacy, players must embrace the past, practice self-honesty, and stay focused on the present moment, accepting the pressures that come with playing in a high-stakes game. Low self-efficacy in a player may result in being distracted on stage due to feelings of doubt, hesitation, and pressure. Both teams must try to stick to the strategy that they need to execute without overthinking certain scenarios.
Using self-talk as a common strategy to convince oneself that one can overcome challenges may backfire on players who have had negative experiences with specific teams and tournaments.
"Focus on acceptance and being in the moment"
Team 1 has displayed synergy and confidence in themselves and their fellow team members, adopting a more calculated approach to team fighting at this year's World Championship compared to their summer performance in the LCK. Source: Lolesports.com
Chovy's MSI performance could lead to more pressure to perform internationally
It should come as no surprise that winning tends to enhance a player's self-efficacy, whereas losing is likely to diminish one's self-efficacy. Despite winning MSI this year, people's international expectations can increase pressure on Chovy as now esports fans have seen that he can perform on the international stage.
Chovy's only international title was MSI 2024 and the 1st for the LCK in 7 years. Source: geng.gg
"A bad psychology can put a cap on how well a player can perform"
If a player is in a good mental state, it will allow a player to perform to 100% of their ability. This applies to all competitive sports and is not exclusive to League of Legends, or esports.
Mental approach for first-time Worlds semi-finalists
As it is newly charted waters for some of the members of the Gen.G roster, Svensson states that: "it is important for them to visualize and familiarize the surroundings." This can be achieved by watching previous games back in similar environments so that they are not caught off guard.
If you expose yourself to unfamiliar scenarios, the associated negative feelings can become less intense.
If a player gets caught up in unfamiliar surroundings, this can hurt their gameplay. Source: Worlds 2023 Finals Opening Ceremony, Lolesports.com
Dealing with social media pressures
Among others, there are two main negative pressures that players have to deal with regarding social media. Both have the potential to significantly affect player performance and in some cases, mental well-being. Firstly, there are the throwaway and low-effort comments. For example 'shit-posts,' and harmful tweets.
Ironically, the second group consists of posts that create a narrative about the players and teams, shaping the online perception of the person.
"If you start to buy into that story, it can start becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy"
For instance, should Faker start embracing the idea that he is 'washed up,' or if Chovy starts thinking that his excellence is limited to domestic competitions and encounters setbacks on the international stage, doubt will take root and potentially escalate into a more severe 'mental boom' in game.
Both teams have already proven themselves in recent years
Regardless of the result this weekend, neither team should consider their recent past or not winning Worlds as failures. They have both demonstrated that they are among the top 2 teams in League of Legends, boasting world-class players. Both T1 and Gen.G should not need to persuade fans and critics. Together, they have won every tournament they have competed in over the past 2 years, except for the LCK this summer.
Sources
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joar-svensson/?locale=en_US
https://www.technogym.com/au/newsroom/psychology-in-sport-variables-team-
individual/#:~:text=Studies%20have%20found%20that%20psichology,et%20al.%2C%202016).
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