i mean we aren't facing each other but if g2 and drx both make it, i'm down lol

ok then thats cool

you asked anyway 🤷‍♂️

the fact that you started with a hypothetical situation (being "lets say g2 wins") shows a flaw in what you are trying to counterargue.

what about if g2 lost?
what about if g2 won?

and to answer your original question, yes, there would be significant changes (albeit not in the results). since the team that won is the team that deserves to advance to the knockout stage (essentially a rite of passage), by having g2 win against either drx or t1, you can objectively say that g2 was the better team in the given point.

comparisons aside, given are the scenarios:

Scenario 1 (current)
DRX v T1
G2 v TL
APAC guaranteed 1 but only 1 team, and either AMER gets a team into KO stage, or EMEA gets two and AMER is out

and then we have

Scenario 2
DRX v G2
T1 v TL
OR
Scenario 3
DRX v TL
T1 v G2
APAC either has 0, 1, or 2 teams advance, AMER either gets knocked out or has 1 team qual, EMEA either has 1 or 2 teams advance

Scenario 1: AMER 0/1 EMEA 1/2 APAC 1 CN 1
Scenario 2/3: AMER 0/1 EMEA 1/2 APAC 0/1/2 CN 1
mathematically, the only difference is the number of APAC slots

scenario 1
if drx won --> 1 APAC team quals
if t1 won --> 1 APAC team quals

scenario 2/3
if g2 won, tl won --> 0 APAC teams qual
if g2 won, t1 won --> 1 APAC team quals
if g2 won, drx won --> 1 APAC team quals
if drx won, t1 won --> 2 APAC teams qual

by the scenarios, it's a worthwhile risk to have APAC teams face non-APAC teams even if it might mean we might send 0 representatives. for complexity reasons, i decided not to use likeliness to win since that's (relatively) subjective and if I did, I probably wouldn't differ from what I'm saying now. plus, if you REALLY want the feel of an international tournament, its hypocritical to have yet ANOTHER t1 v drx regional matchup for the THIRD time in 2025 ALONE. ideally, you would want to see APAC against non-APAC, so that we can have more non-regional matchups before knockouts, where 2/4 of the 1-1 pooled teams will get eliminated.

since we're guaranteed this regional matchup, in ko stage we'll have no regional matchups.
but if we avoid the regional matchup and either send 2 EMEA or 2 APAC, there's still a good chance there won't be a regional matchup either in the ko stage, which fits YOUR description of an "international tournament" better than merely the inclusion of all region's teams.

if you're still confused, i can probably explain it further. have a nice day

equity ≠ competitiveness

😂😂😂😂HAHAHHAHAHAHA😂😂😂😂HAHAHHAHAHAHA😂😂😂😂HAHAHHAHAHAHA😂😂😂😂HAHAHHAHAHAHA😂😂😂😂HAHAHHAHAHAHA😂😂😂😂HAHAHHAHAHAHA😂😂😂😂HAHAHHAHAHAHA😂😂😂😂HAHAHHAHAHAHA😂😂😂😂HAHAHHAHAHAHA😂😂😂😂HAHAHHAHAHAHA😂😂😂😂HAHAHHAHAHAHA😂😂😂😂HAHAHHAHAHAHA😂😂😂😂HAHAHHAHAHAHA

maybe an "oh my god im a big fan can i have your autograph" or sum shit

not "BABY 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 I'M OBSESSED WITH NONG 😩💗💗💗AHHHHH auhhhh wuwuwu 🥰🤗😍"
^ whatever ts is

shit is mad creepy, its like the asian version of when justin bieber was getting harassed even when he was a minor (obvious kk isn't a minor, nevertheless still weird AF)

it was kind of corny but i guess its pretty neat that drx still reps the dragon and still stands for its abbreviation

ts (this shit) pmo 💔

this is quite literally the weaboo --> koreaboo --> kpop fandom --> EDG/PRX/SEN fanbase evolution

so fucking mentally ill at times

2022

blessed to see prime optc (prime yay, prime marved, prime crashies, prime victor, prime (?) FNS)
blessed to see prime loud (pancada was in his prime, aspas + sacy + less is devious, saadhak calling insane)
blessed to see OG el classico (loud v optc)
blessed to see zeta division's cinderella run
blessed to see benkai's walkouts and the rise of prx
blessed to prime eu fpx vs prime og drx multiple times
blessed to see pre-franchising have more team variety

fuck the chamber meta but now that's its over i hate myself for missing it

i'm relaxed, lol

after all, your original comment seemed to be quite... tense

hallo :o

some could say the vision did in fact, strike

idk bout you 13-3 kinda seems like an absolute SLAM

both impact and stats-wise, not even top 20 from what we've seen this year

over (technically, standing up between maps is standing up)
over (for the same reason)
over (likely going to map 3, that's like avg of 10+ kills/map)
over (i can see it going over even in 0-2 or 2-0)
over (4 to 6 maps of valorant, that's around 2.5 to 3.5 util kills per map)
under (just don't see that happening)
under (also unlikely imo)
over (one caster could mention it and that would lead to at least 2/3 more mentions of it from the other casters/interviewers)

sen permabans haven first, or else drx will exploit it

for individuals already accustomed to spicy cuisine, it's not too bad of a jump. it's just that western(US, UK, etc...) individuals that are used to eating bland/salty foods their entire life treat the immense jump as a "challenge," which, I guess is reasonable for them.

I've seen my friends chug down the buldak sauce packet by itself, as unholy as it sounds (and is)

the allyl isothiocyanate in wasabi is also a key chemical in mustard and horseradish, which affect the nasal sense, which might be why you feel minty after consuming wasabi (contacting with wasabi)

nope, it is! contrary to popular belief, capsaicin isn't the only chemical that contributes to spicyness.

isothiocyanates are the primary component in wasabi that makes the "sting" and the "spicyness" radiate throughout your nose/mouth.

hope this helped

cool.

how were they cracked in the first place...

nah but lowk mexican food is fire im legit tryna force myself to shove down jalapeños just to get my taste palette accustomed to mexican cuisine

from a korean's perspective, I also never got on the buldak hype train, although it might be because Koreans are just so used to that level of straight capsaicin.

for your spice vs spicy question, it might be as simple as them seeing the two words as similar, and then correlating spice with spicy when they're distinctly different.

I guess spice is an acquired taste. I hated wasabi until recently, after I started eating more JP cuisine; I still hate the jalapeño-type spice and I'm trying to get used to it so I can handle more of the stuff my Mexican friends give me, especially since I'm literally in Southern California, right above Baja Cali 😭

yup, with very slight differences like pyeongyang naengmyeon and other national NK dishes, and because NK "sneaks" an absurd amount of SK/CN food to their mainland, it's almost all SK/CN adopted cuisine.

also--KR is overrated in cuisine. however, if you're talking about the general eating experience and not region-specific cuisine, KR is EASILY peak, especially the food we can serve in alleyways, eateries, and street food (arguably the best in terms of overall experience)

i've tried both, i think its more about preference in this case

personally favor japanese cuisine, the food gave me an overall better experience as well
I'm also big on soup and confectionaries/desserts so that might also be why

Over
Over
Over
Over
Over
Under
Over
Over
Over
Under

likely--as they branded Masters Bangkok as "The Dawn of the Duelist."

additionally, last duelist was agent 24 (iso), and we've since had one of every role except duelist: 25 (clove, smokes), 26 (vyse, sentinel), 27 (tejo, initiator), 28 (projected to be duelist)

why do people drink alcohol?

or to put it to a tee for comparison, why do Italians love wine so much? while Italians love wine for the exquisite and rich taste, addiction is a huge part, much like spicy food is to many other cultures (also including your culture, especially near Calabria, where, cmiiw, you guys use a lot of peppers there, and even pepper jams).

which one?

because both are fire:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuimhLsoO78
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saQsWNjqPUk

what the sigma are you on

just put the fries in the bag atp 😭

what a painfully obvious comment.

if you're going to source the majority, you're obvious always going to get the fan-favorite/overdogs for every match.

if you wanted spicy picks, you would have to ask individual people.

MaKo got the free1ng he deserved.

yes, the translation was good but it's hard to carry out the tone of a speech into a different language.

but at the same time, it's not like meteor DIDN'T have a problem with autumn. there was a problem, but it's not as major as it may seem.

all in all, news dramatifies events.

trust me, korea is NOT considered to have cold climate year around. In fact, our summers are devastatingly hot (PRX themselves have said this???) and our winters are in fact freezing (but has it occurred that you don't play VALORANT outside in the snow?) also, its not like koreans are immune to their own weather, as we suffer heavily from weather fluctuations, it's almost like we can't get adjusted to either the cold or the heat.

but yeah, homesickness is terrible...

the thing is, riot already has an HQ in KR, and KR's infrastructure makes it easier for esports to be held there. also, kr culture is heavily geared towards gaming, so I'm pretty sure that equipment/cultural boundaries won't be hard to overcome.

NV Food really was a different beast

well, TSM v SEN in FAZE Invitationals was kind of mickey, since TSM got a 1 map adv. because Bo5's weren't fully fleshed out.

edit: NA Chal 2 Stage 1 was also similar with the map adv. BS, but NV would've been up 2-0 regardless, not to likely to have a rev. sweep

https://www.vlr.gg/10258/envy-vs-sentinels-champions-tour-north-america-stage-1-challengers-2-gf
https://www.vlr.gg/8415/sentinels-vs-luminosity-nerd-street-gamers-winter-championship-playoffs-gf
https://www.vlr.gg/1635/team-solomid-vs-sentinels-faze-clan-invitational-playoffs-gf

the only three

"maximumthehormone" is telling someone to get a life in VLR of all places.

ts pmo fr icl ngl 💔💔💔

It's a meme poking at the fact that a lot of VLR users have been making, since carpe is likeable player and even if he does bad he's the type of player a lot of people support.

They're only half-serious LOL, they know

agreed, good reasoning

me lol

its honestly not too bad, i like a spicy challenge here and there

insightful (and thoughtful) response. I believe that Thailand has a ridiculous amount of potential right now (feels like the KR scene before it "boomed") and even though Vietnam is "dying" (e.g. YESicaN being wasted, other young talent not having the resources and needing to trailblaze), I strongly believe that they will make a magical resurgence over the next 4-5 years. give it time, they will shock the world once they get their hands on resources. Lastly, without memeing, I genuinely think that India will develop the necessary talent over time, but I think that it'll take 8+ years minimum, since India is a poor but developing country, with Indians having an unconscious bias and an image that gaming is not a sustainable industry. I REALLY love the ideology that GE's CEO is coming in with, and I desperately beg him to continue his endeavors, no matter how bleak it looks.

valid points, will take into account.

in hindsight my initial statement felt like an overreaction to the braindead takes I kept seeing

also, moments is a dangerous term, since what "counts" as a moment? In this case, you set the moment during late(ish) 2023, and yes, I will concede that SEA had better placements. however, in a given moment, you had KR players brewing at the time in tier 2, some rotting away. just think about all of the untapped potential KR had before 2024/25, its insane to see players like meteor get held back by players like TS, or players like free1ng (who's played in VCT KR since THE beginning) who've never got a chance until now.

you listed one team. ONE team.

i know i said a lot, but please care to read what I've said previously: "if we're merely going by a top-heavy standard, you only have PRX, which pales to the sheer amount of placements that VS/DRX and now GEN, with a side of T1 that has been made." And yes, even in 2023, since yes, PRX got an impressive 2nd place finish, but DRX also got a 3rd-4th place finish in LOCK//IN, and don't forget that the top 3 teams in APAC were PRX, DRX, and T1 (in 2023)

about that... i can't speak for JP because I am Korean, but a huge part of the CN hate directed towards KR teams is because of their deep, entangled history in LoL. CN have often regarded KR teams (mainly T1/Faker and GEN/Chovy) as "THE" team(s) to beat, so I've heard from my Chinese friends that CN has a lot of both megafans and megahaters of T1/GEN.

hence why you saw Shanghai's crowd prejudiced against GEN; iirc they rooted for every team that went against GEN and T1 really strongly, and whenever GEN would clutch important rounds, you can hear the crowd suddenly fade into silence.

two wrongs don't make a right, unless you're labeling the loud minority (not too minor nowadays 🥲) as hypocrites, then yes, you are valid.