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T1 vs Gen.G: Overcoming Mental Blocks

Oct 22, 2024

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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.