The SKT Dynasty is over?
It’s hard to believe that one of esports’ longest standing dynasties could end... just
like that.
And, when you look back at SKT’s dynasty — where it began,
just how dominant they were, and how significant that team was
to the development of league of legends esports as a whole, it was honestly a little depressing
to see it end in such a way.
(Casting)
And when you consider all of these aspects there’s almost no denying the fact that
esports needed a dynasty like SKT’s and they will need more going forward.
It’s understandable that people discuss parity as any fan’s dream.
Some fans are sentimental about the time before a dynasty, claiming that one team’s dominance
makes the scene too predictable.
"All aboard the Korean hype train, SK Telecom T1."
But what most people won’t tell you, especially in esports, is that the scene needs these
predictable results.
It needs the Goliaths because David’s story wouldn’t be complete without them.
"Samsung Galaxy the only team to ever dethrone SKT at Worlds.
They do it on the biggest stage League has ever seen."
And consider this:
The dynasties that exist in esports deal with much more than just an ever growing level
of competition — they also deal with constant patches.
"The goal is always that people have options. Could we see Zyra at Worlds? If the answer to that question is yes,
Then we've done a good job and we're at a great ecosystem."
Would the Chicago Bulls of the 1990s be as dominant as they were if the size of the rim,
or the height of the basket changed each year?
It’s impossible to say because sports don’t live in that environment but esports do.
So we need these teams, we need these superstars.
We need them to provide consistency in an environment where consistency is seemingly unattainable.
We need these teams to set records that will stand for years to come.
We need the teams that, one day, can set new ones.
And when they do, we need it to be special.
To be something new.
Back in the early to late 2000s it was the Bonjwas of the brood war era that helped first
establish the foundation of the esports scene we see today.
Guys like Boxer, Iloveoov and Savior all established an era of dominance that became a sort of
measuring stick to the accomplishments of all those who came after them.
Aside from elevating the level of professional play, general fans of the game tried to replicate
the playstyles and strategies of the Bonjwas.
And who could blame them?
They were the best of the best at their respective races.
So, in the 2000s, thousands of kids logged on to the Starcraft ladders trying to replicate
Savior’s 3 hatch mutalisk builds.
Just like how thousands of kids flocked to the ball court to try and replicate Michael
Jordan’s tongue out fadeaways.
But while StarCraft’s popularity and influence cannot be overstated in the East,
it would take a little bit longer for the West to pick up on esports as a legitimate form of competition.
That was until the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena genre took off.
Dota 2 and League of Legends became the most widely played games in the world and by 2011,
both companies made serious commitments to their esports scene as a way to market and
grow their game.
Valve announced The International, a tournament that boasted the biggest prize pool in esports
history at $1.6 million in 2011 for the game’s unveiling at Gamescon.
And, that’s where Dota2’s first dynasty would emerge — Natus Vincere.
"There's moments of esports that are landmark and this is one of them. In Cologne, and Na'Vi the winners,
you guys have just made history."
Between 2011 and 2013, navi not only set the record for the most international grand finals
appearances with three but they captured over 15 premiere tournament titles as well.
Their fiercely aggressive and passionate style of play quickly made them fan favorites.
From what is now known as the play to the controversial fountain hooks, Na'Vi and the
way in which they played the game made others want to pick up the keyboard and mouse to do the same.
(Casting)
But their relevance to Dota 2 and to esports as a whole goes beyond just that.
As the first team to ever win a million dollars from a single esports event, Na'Vi broke down
the notion that esports could never be lucrative.
And for those who dreamed of making a living off of esports, that was the moment they knew
it could all be worth while.
Although 2013 would be the end of Na'Vi’s time atop the Dota 2 food chain, in the East,
in League of Legends, a new team was making waves and establishing themselves as a young
and exciting team to watch
SK Telecom T1 K.
(Casting)
SK Telecom T1K broke out into competitive scene with a bang.
A solo queue prodigy turned pro by the name of Faker was making fools of his opponents
with mechanical prowess previously never seen before in the game’s already three-year competitive history.
(Casting)
He was so unbelievably good and his teammates so effective at supporting him, that he would
single handedly win matches on carries like LeBlanc.
Thanks to Faker’s godliness SKT, from 2013 to 2017 have attended four League of Legends World Championships
and won three.
"The undisputed best team in the world. The SKT reign continues. They win their third world championship.
They’ve captured two out of a possible four Mid Season Invitational titles and have more
domestic league titles than any other franchise in Korean history.
Their consistency atop the League of Legends esports food chain helped grow the game much like the way
the Magic Johnson Lakers and the Larry Bird Celtics helped to grow the NBA from its humble
roots in the 1980s.
Marketability and consistency were SKT, and especially Faker’s bread and butter.
As much as SKT needed Riot Games, it was a symbiotic relationship.
League’s player base began to explode, and people became more interested in the esports
scene because they wanted to get better at the game.
And it was in this critical time that SKT’s Faker, emerged as the game’s greatest player.
(Casting)
And, just like any other sport markets its best players and teams, so did Riot Games.
From studio features to interviews, Riot took full advantage of SKT’s popularity and marketability.
And for good reason.
As a new fan entering the scene it’s easy to attach yourself to the best teams,
the teams that consistently make playoffs, that are consistently contenders at Worlds.
In a environment as fickle as esports, where organizations can come and go at a whim,
brand loyalty is hard to come by unless you’re a team that can consistently stay atop the standings.
(Casting)
Plus, esports has had a relatively short history compared to traditional sports.
Teams that have defined these games are still around — so it’s easy to become attached
to those accomplishments.
It’s easy to cling to those unforgettable moments.
Games that feature SKT are still one of the most watched games in League of Legends esports
and when Faker himself first streamed on Twitch it broke records.
Much like ‘The Tiger Effect’ in golf, where TV ratings shoot up when Tiger plays
in a tournament and commentating prioritizes Wood’s placing and scores, the same effect
occured with SKT and Faker.
Streams, games, plays, features, interviews, really anything that featured SKT or Faker instantly
went viral and the broadcasters consistently focused in on SKT and Faker in their commentaries.
"I mean there's people all the way up to the ceiling and then we have Faker doing his anime villain stare.
"I thought he was going to smile at some point but no, no, no."
And this effect continued into the 2017 World Championships.
Even with Samsung firmly in control of the series, the casters continued to focus on
the team that had won so many world championships before.
"SKT do not lose World Championships. They have some ungodly record that ends in zero losses
when they're at elimination games at Worlds and you might see it here today."
Outside of MOBAs, in the past decade one other title has stood out
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
(Casting)
And one CS:GO team dominated among them all
Fnatic.
olofmesiter and Krimz solidified what is now a legendary lineup in 2014.
In 2015 the team won a Major championship at ESL One Katowice, their first in what would
become back-to-back Major victories.
And in the Summer of 2015 Fnatic would take home five of a possible ten premier tournament titles.
And Fnatic’s domination came at a key time for the CS scene.
ESL One Cologne broke records in the competitive CS:GO scene with over 11 thousand people attending
the event each day.
But it also broke 1 million concurrent viewers for the first time in CS:GO history.
CS:GO has since exploded from a relatively small scene to one of the biggest games in the world.
And Fnatic’s back-to-back Major victories, were a big part of that boom.
Though all these dynasties have ended, their contribution to League of Legends esports, to Dota, to CS:GO
cannot be understated.
"There is no greater achievement in League of Legends than beating SKT in a world final."
Esports as a whole has benefited from their marketability, their consistency and their resilience.
But it wasn’t just those three titles.
esports as we know it wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the Bonjwas of the StarCraft era,
the OpTic and FaZe gaming teams of Halo and Call of Duty days.
Or the NiP’s and SK Gamings of CS:GO
Though parity in esports might be the ultimate goal, for now, we should welcome each dynasty
with open arms because its those teams, the stars players they produce, the play’s they’ve made,
the memories they’ve created, and the kids they’ve inspired that made and
will continue to make esports great.
(Casting)