The former TSM Academy ADC returns after spending two years on Team Liquid. Tactical spoke to the press about Champions Queue and overcoming the language barrier with lane partner Shenyi.
It sadly was not the homecoming Edward "Tactical" Ra had imagined. TSM fell to Evil Geniuses in their opening game of the 2022 LCS spring split. The game itself started slow for LCS standards but ramped up towards the end. Even ending in a penta kill by Kyle "Danny" Sakamaki.
However, following their loss to Evil Geniuses, TSM Tactical got to speak to the press about his new support, the new LCS Champions Queue and more.
Will the Champions Queue bridge the gap for NA?
Riot Games recently announced the highly anticipated Champions Queue will be coming to North America on February 7.
The new queue will look to improve the quality of life experience for high elo players on the North American ladder. One of the biggest negatives that most players will speak about when joining an NA roster is the problem with the solo queue.
Cloud9 head coach Nick "LS" De Cesare spoke about their imports already taking a dislike to the solo queue environment on a recent episode of Facecheck.
However, Tactical believes the new queue has potential, as well as his surprise at the large prize pool also being introduced.
I'm not sure how it will pan out but I think it is cool, I remember I think CSGO had a FACEIT programme with a leaderboard and then the top X would get money so it sounds like a similar system.
I was surprised by the amount of money they are investing, it's definitely more than I thought and I think it is a good incentive for people to try and climb. I think as long as there is enough people on the server I think it will be beneficial.
TSM bringing in the youth for 2022
For the 2022 season, TSM has decided to go in a direction that is completely new to the LCS. Although SwordArt was brought into the side on an expensive contract last season, TSM has decided to fully invest in young Chinese talent.
Zhu "Keaiduo" Xiong and Wei "Shenyi" Zi-Jie were brought into the LCS during the offseason. Both players looked solid throughout their time in China and are expected to have big futures on TSM. During his chat with the press, Tactical spoke about the challenges him and his lane partner in Shenyi are facing.
"So far there is a language barrier, we do have to use coaches to help translate when talking about bot lane ideas. Since he is from the LDL, he still has a lot to learn and I think when we talk to each other I think we understand what each other wants. I think as we play more we will naturally know what we want."
TSM showed promise in their opening game
Although this was not the result they were looking for, there were some positives for TSM to take away. Firstly, Keaiduo had a solid game and did not succumb to the pressure of playing in a major region.
The mid laner kept up in farm well and was useful in finding picks onto his lane opponent in the side lane. Keaiduo event got a solo kill onto Impact.
Secondly, for a large part of the game, TSM was able to keep the gold within touching distance. This is a good sign for a side that is clearly going through growing pains with the language barrier. Over time, the language problems will fade and TSM will begin to look more cohesive.
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