1: T1 only looks OK to start the year.
2: T1 has a pretty good run going into MSI.
3: T1 has a poor MSI showing, casting doubt over a potential repeat.
4: Some fuckery allows T1 to qualify for worlds. (You are here)
5: T1 only looks OK in the Swiss Stage.
6: T1 wins worlds.
it's pretty disappointing to watch the downfall of FlyQuest in real time. in 2024/2025 i genuinely thought they were the 1st team that was going to re-capture some of the magic that earlier fans of LCS had the pleasure of experiencing, but i was quite mistaken.
truth be told, it seems like a complete systematic lack of leadership & direction- the ONLY effort i feel like we get from FLY to market their roster and players is either sexualizing Gryffinn FAR MORE than an org should EVER be willing to do or the queer-baiting they did a few months ago; both of which are about as low hanging fruit as an acorn that's fallen off the branch, if aiming for the stars was the approach- our rockets are currently grounded and our ‘technicians’ are straight off of Fiverr
it almost feels like if Gryffinn isn't taking his shirt off or referring to girls as "exotic" for cheap likes & views- then it's genuinely hopeless & how the fuck would you even take the impressions from low-quality, dogshit slop like that and market it to brands & sponsors anyways? The whole “all press is good press” in theory is fine for individuals i suppose? but as an org you HAVE TO do better
the part that's perhaps the most heartbreaking is how much talent they DO have internally; the merch, the graphics, and also the video people are ALL amazing and tbh some of the best around but alas they are actively sabotaged by leadership that almost seems like they're fucking up intentionally, but even that would require a level of competence i genuinely do not believe they possess.
everytime i talk to the creative staff at FLY i have nothing but the highest praise to speak of all of them. in the “peak days” of FLY; they were often the unsung heroes but they all deserve a ton of credit for all that FLY accomplished in those years
1 mistake is a coincidence, 2 is a warning, and whatever number FLY is at in 2026 is a pattern of complete incompetence and mismanagement that was always present but became obvious once they didn't have winning roster to cover it up
and i haven't even touched on how horrible their usage of Basil has been. me and her have been friends since we were 17 so it's possible i'm biased but it's clear as day that her merch and presence ALONE is the only reason we don't see them shaking ass for Polymarket. i’ll just leave it at dat..
let’s go back to the ‘Caedrel/Co-streamer’ video. I think a lot of the discourse around that video was genuinely mind numbing. I don’t think it’s a horrible idea to do video essays; it can be pretty good for impressions or to move along discourse within the community, but it’s pretty obvious the hidden layers & intentions with that video. it was about as factually accurate as a PragerU video and they trashed on co-streaming with largely false points and then PLUGGED BASIL AS AN ALTERNATIVE WITHOUT CONSULTING HER IN THE SLIGHTEST OR ASKING FOR PRIOR APPROVAL, she literally found out because I was laying down on the couch in the living room and I asked her “yo have you seen this video yall just dropped” and she was just as confused as a lot of yall might’ve been. they did so in a way that seemed like she also endorsed or held the brainless views that were being propagated by the video. SPOILER ALERT: SHE DOES NOT AGREE WITH THE PREMISE OF THE VIDEO. Ultimately, she caught a TON of unwarranted hate for a stance she does not even hold. what did FlyQuest do to mitigate the hate comments that their only saving grace was receiving due to their own negligence? if your guess was scratching their ass and jacking off- you’d be correct! watching my friend catch flack for quite literally ZERO reason was so frustrating, especially when all it takes is a simple tweet or post; at least ACT like you care about your talent. another layer of it is that if you are going to outsource the video to someone who isn’t technically a part of your org you NEED to do your due diligence to vet the contents of the video; how the hell does this get past what i assume is multiple layers of “checking”?- i know about 25 people in their early 20s who are more meticulous off a tab of adderall
next is the misleading veil of being ‘woman + LGBTQIA friendly/safe’. perhaps they CLAIM to care abt that but they ALSO have let so much shit slide so long as you are a remotely competent player, there is hardly people in that office that can call themselves a ‘man’ because rather than holding players & people accountable, they'd much rather push it under the rug and act like it never happened. my personal favorite was them failing to post for pride month this year. i don’t THINK the people at FLY are raging bigots (or at least hope not); and pride posts can feel like nothingburgers if they are the SOLE THING a company does during June- but it’s actually really cool to publicly speak up and express ur support for marginalized communities! iirc FLY has donated solid sums of money to LGBTQIA+ organizations SO SPEAK ABOUT IT AND ADVOCATE FOR THE PEOPLE WHO VIEW YOUR ORG AS THEIR ONLY SAFE SPACE IN AN OTHERWISE ULTRA-SEXIST, MISOGYNISTIC SPACE.
i can’t help but feel like it’s a 180 from the FlyQuest we grew to love; they used to listen to the community ALL the time but now it feels like FlyQuest is running more like a fraternity at ASU than a prestigious LCS organization that fans can get behind.
ultimately this isnt a call out to anyone specific; im just sick and tired of watching the one good thing our region had be run into the ground and rather than it being picked back up; we’re going deeper under the ground. holding each other accountable is the only way we can actually “save the LCS” and i think we’ve let far too much shit slide
New #Overwatch TTRPG Adventure 🎲
Join Matt Mercer, the voice of Cassidy, live in Questwatch as he leads four heroes on an adventure through Overland.
🗓️ Tune In: September 13
Introducing Questwatch - Overwatch’s first-ever TTRPG adventure happening LIVE at BlizzCon on Sep 13! 🎲
Join @matthewmercer, VA for Cassidy, as he takes four Heroes on an adventure through Overland. Tune-In to the Opening Ceremony on Sep 12 for more details. ⚔️