What IEM Katowice revealed...
Let me just state something right off... ...the entire NA/EU "who is the least shit of a region" debate is pointless. Both are shit when we talk internationally.
I want everyone to realize this.
Now I'm an NA fan first and foremost, and I want to see NA teams excel wherever they compete. So as you may know, I was beyond thrilled when an NA team, TSM, won IEM Katowice. "GG, NA > CN > KR > SEA > EU! TSM wonnered for NA! :D" was the kind of excitement that I, and I presume many had afterwards.
However after the dust settled and all the bragging and salt-storms passed, the reality of the situation hit me. TSM's win was quite a hollow victory. -Sure they beat CJ Entus very convincingly; arguably was the best TSM had ever looked. But this was a Bo1. Could they have won a Bo3? -Sure they beat the Flash Wolves, but only after losing the first game quite badly. -Sure they beat WE four times; three of which were very convincing too. That first game in the finals was honestly WE's but they threw (I feel bad for them).
TSM never got to face the likes of GE Tigers or Sk Gaming at all, and they only played a Bo1 vs CJ Entus. Those three being the perceived best teams at the tournament. TSM never to got to truly showcase how strong they were to teams people would consider a legitimate opponent. In short, the championship unfortunately seemed gifted to TSM.
A few other obvious facts IEM showed us: -A surging Gambit in the LCS did poorly. -An already shaky Cloud 9 looked like beginner bots vs the Tigers, then threw in spectacular fashion vs the Flash Wolves. -WE with their brand new subs far exceeded expectations. -The underdogs reigned supreme. -GE Tigers under-performed (choked possibly). -CJ Entus ousted Gambit convincingly, but then lost convincingly to TSM. -Sk Gaming's one dimensional play style was exploited tremendously.
The results of this tournament suggest that TSM is right now the ONLY team from the entirety of the LCS, that has a good chance of beating Asian teams, and winning internationally. And I agree 100%... ...and this is very concerning.
In North America: C9 and TSM have been the only teams to do good internationally vs legitimate opponents. I firmly believe CLG stands no chance due to poor team fighting, and the rest of the teams are not consistent enough. Although, Cloud 9 are not looking too strong this season. TSM looks poised as the only real hope for NA.
In Europe: The dismantling of their elite teams (Gambit, Fnatic, Alliance) either earlier last season or during pre-season 5, has drastically weakened the region (Elements, what are you doing?). This along with the now adopted one-dimensional team strategies they all seem to have, has lessened their chances going into the future. Due note that some of their current top teams besides SK (the new Fnatic, H2k) look to have some promise; but likely only kicking into high gear in the summer.
Season 4 Worlds was the best tournament for the Western teams in recent times; NA only managed 1-3's in the quarterfinals, Europe didn't get out of groups. Yet from my POV, this was a major high-point for us western fans/teams. Now it looks as if we have fallen farther behind since then.
Korea might look weaker now, but remember that they lost like 20 or so of their top tier talent during the exodus to China. It will take time for the teams to adopt and breed new talent. I expect them to the top region by the time Worlds arrives.
China has just received all this top tier veteran talent from Korea. They are just working on having them integrate and mesh with their teams. Its a race between China and Korea; can China get their veteran Korean talent to work well with their teams before Korea can breed new talent? Whoever wins this race will be the best region.
TL;DR...I strongly believe that the western teams apart from TSM have very little chance internationally. In the past we had multiple elite teams to contest the Asian dominance. They have all but disappeared or are falling flat currently. With the massive influx of elite veteran Korean talent to China, the ability for Korea to breed new elite players, and the ticking time bomb that are those two regions as of now...the future looks grim for the West.
