GAM Esports are back to square one after suffering a one-sided 0-3 loss to Chinese representatives Bilibili Gaming. Vietnam’s last hope must now take a step back and quickly reassess its approach as it prepares to face FURIA — what could very well be their final showing at the 2025 Mid-Season Invitational (MSI), just two days into the tournament. In this exclusive piece, midlaner Nguyễn "Emo" Thái Vinh discusses GAM’s six-man roster, his personal growth, and the team’s upcoming match.

GAM Esports unfortunately suffered a 0-3 loss to BLG. How are you and the team feeling after this match?

Nguyễn "Emo" Thái Vinh: "This result was definitely not something we wished for. It's unfortunate, but since it happened, it's best for us to just go home, get a mental reset, and prepare for the next one.

Given how one-sided the match was, is it difficult to take away any meaningful lessons from the loss right now? Do you feel it would be better to just dismiss what happened and focus on the next match?

Emo: No, I don't want to wipe this defeat from our memory. We will look back at our mistakes and fix them; we have to improve as fast as possible. But afterwards, we will probably go out, get dinner together, relax a bit, and have some talks, so that we can come back stronger.

GAM utilized its six-man roster today — you played game one, then Hồ "Aress" Văn Vĩ Đại took over for games two and three. What was the reasoning behind that decision?

Emo: After game one, the coaching staff noticed that I was having some mental issues. I made some mistakes. That is why they decided to swap Aress in for game two. They were still preparing for both eventualities, so that he or I could continue for game three.

Do you see the six-man roster as a positive for your team? Right now, only LCP teams like GAM and CTBC Flying Oyster seem able to use this kind of setup effectively.

Emo: Both CFO and us are teams that have been together for a short amount of time. As long as we play together, talk with one another, and practice as a group, we will have the bond of a long-lasting team. This six-man roster is a positive in my eyes. I've always thought that the both of us had to be better at something, but after a while with Aress, I've grown to think that sharing this position helps us both in getting better. We look beyond individuality and towards a larger team picture.

Last year was your first international event at MSI — you were just 18 and joined under special circumstances. How do you reflect on your growth since then?

Emo: After a year playing with GAM, I realized that I have matured a lot. I have learned a lot from my elder brothers. With all of these experiences in the international tournaments, I've grown to have a better mentality on the international stage. Although today I kind of messed up a little bit, I'll fix it in the long run.

Are you proud of how far you’ve come?

Emo: I'm really proud of myself that I have made it here to this MSI 2025. But in the long run, I will have to continue fostering myself, strengthen myself for the next events to come.

GAM is one of the most popular teams in the LCP and Vietnam overall. With so many fans supporting you, what does that mean to you personally?

Emo: Having so many fans, both regional and international, I like it — it motivates me to play better so that I can earn myself even more fans and have them keep supporting me.

You're facing FURIA tomorrow with little time to rest. What are your thoughts on the matchup, and is there anything you'd like to say ahead of the game?

Emo: FURIA played really well today — they took G2 to game 5. In all of these games, they were playing very well from the early game. We're going to head home now so that we can prepare and get some rest."