In the LCP Pacific region, during the third stage playoffs, the winners' bracket third round has already begun. On the previous match day, the all-Chinese team CFO defeated Japan's TSW 2-1, securing their spot in the winners' finals and locking in a berth for the S15 World Championship. On the same day, PSG faced GAM, and after just two games, PSG emerged victorious, also securing a top-three finish and a ticket to Worlds.

Now, there is only one World Championship spot left in the LCP region. GAM, TSW, DFM, and MVKE are competing for it. Whoever reaches the losers' bracket final will claim the spot. Among these four, GAM is the strongest, Sofm's MVKE is decent, while the two Japanese teams have relatively weaker overall strength and will likely be eliminated. If it comes down to a Vietnam internal battle, GAM should be the one to advance to Worlds.

CFO qualifying for Worlds was completely expected, as they have been the most dominant team in the LCP region and have never missed international tournaments in recent seasons. PSG's qualification, however, was somewhat surprising. During the third stage regular season, FoFo, who had played two stages, suddenly left the team and was replaced by Maple, who played in the LPL's old-timers cup earlier this year. PSG suffered a series of losses in the first half of the season.

With four consecutive big game losses and eight small game losses, PSG’s performance plummeted after changing their mid laner in the third stage. But in the latter half, PSG rebounded in the losers' bracket, sweeping CHF and CFM 2-0, then shutting out MVKE and quickly defeating GAM in the playoffs, achieving a four-game big series winning streak and an eight-game small series streak. PSG secured a Worlds spot with a top-three finish, experiencing a rollercoaster ride from the bottom to the peak.

At the moment PSG secured their Worlds spot, their jungler Karsa was moved to tears on the stage. He collapsed into his teammates’ arms, crying like a child. It was clear how much he wanted to play at Worlds. After leaving the LPL and returning to the LCP region, PSG immediately contacted him. Last year, PSG even gave up on the guaranteed Worlds spot player JunJia to sign Karsa.

After JunJia transferred to CFO, he led the team through MSI and into Worlds, while Karsa failed to secure a Worlds ticket. During that period, his individual skill was heavily questioned. Fortunately, after switching mid laners this year, he finally achieved his goal of making Worlds and proved himself. It must be said, the synergy between the veterans Maple and Karsa is quite remarkable.

The most awkward situation now is definitely FoFo’s. When PSG was losing early in the season, FoFo mocked the team on his livestream, saying they had abandoned him. Now looking back, kicking him out was the right choice. Maple, who had retired to play in the old-timers cup, returned and led the team to Worlds. The mid lane was clearly a big issue in the first two stages when PSG struggled.

Next up, Sofm’s MVKE team will face DFM, with the winner playing GAM. Whoever reaches the second round of the losers' bracket will likely lose to GAM, so the final fight for the third spot will probably be GAM versus TSW. These two teams have a noticeable strength gap, but GAM’s recent form hasn’t been great, so their Worlds qualification isn’t guaranteed. Personally, I still hope GAM can make it to Worlds.

In conclusion:

With PSG and CFO, two all-Chinese teams, securing their spots, this year’s Worlds is shaping up to be very exciting. Veterans like JunJia, Doggo, Karsa, and Maple will return to the region they once fought in. They will definitely face LPL teams, though it remains to be seen if any province teams will break records like CFO did when they defeated TES.

So, what do you think? Can GAM still make it to Worlds?

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