Inspired to His Core
Korea is sending an unbeaten team to MSI and a fresh LPL champion awaits, but Western fans can believe in the mastery of Inspired, the best player in this hemisphere.
European League of Legends has always been the region to produce players that are capable of facing China and Korea's titans and matching or besting them. North America had the odd unicorn over the years, but across every position in the game Europe has had at least one name that has both proven in the server they are elite at a world class level and burrowed into the psyche of the world's finest to earn admiration or begruding respect.
The latest to hold that crown as the best the region has to offer is Poland's Kacper "Inspired" SÅ‚oma. No truer heir to fellow countryman and MSI champion and Worlds finalist Jankos could there be. His ability to adapt to what his team needs, as seen by how staggeringly different his picks were in an Evil Geniuses team containing rookies to his stints in Rogue and now FlyQuest, would make the former G2 star beam like a proud father.
Captain inspirational
Further following on in those footsteps he has developed from a talented mechanical and intuitive Jungler to one of the most calculated players in the West and improved exponentially as a communicator. Despite his public persona of the harsh critic and disappointed cycnic behind-the-scenes stories tell of a player who would take rookies in EG under his wing literally with an arm around their shoulder and the right words of encouragement into their ears. Then follow such encouragement up with the ever present demand they perform in the server and play winning League.
His track record speaks for itself. With Larssen the team seemingly couldn't fail to finish top two in the regular split and was a favourite to make a finals run split after split after split, on a Rogue containing reclaimed former top players and for an organisation which was irrelevant before and lasted only a year without him before dipping back down to said status on their own watches. Now they can only dream of "Rogue time".
Jojopyun was so fresh he still had Fortnite images flashing on his retinas, unaware even of the abilities of some of the champions in other roles, and yet it didn't even take a split of playing within the proximity of Inspired for both to put an LCS trophy on the shelf. The LEC trophy had evaded Inspired and many blamed him, traditionally expected for his role, as Rogue would win the title in the following year. Few asked if the other players understood Inspired's skillset or he was able to find a common ground for communication.
With Jensen, on his last legs and looking down a last chance saloon for top tier player, Inspired had the team in the final of the 2024 spring split with a series win over eventual champions Team Liquid. The summer saw the arrival of Korean talent Quad, a gamble so late in the season and with a player who speaks a completely different language and lacks experience. The split ended with Inspired again walking up to the trophy with his rookie Mid lane team-mate. So much for issues synergising with his Mid laner!
The Quad pairing yielded another domestic title in this most recent split, despite facing the powerful potential and force of Cloud9's solo laners and massively decorated Jungler.
Too valuable
What was missed about Inspired's LEC run was that he was at times the architect of Rogue's successes, able to win them games off the strength of winning lanes, but also could be their saviour in dark moments. Those who don't remember the 2021 upper bracket semi-final Bo5 series with Misfits would be advised to revisit that as the series rested on the back of Inspired across all of the games and was fittingly put away with an epic Viego pentakill in the final act.
Have people's memories erased that Inspired was contending for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in both splits that season? He seized the award in that summer split, even if he thinks it should have been spring's efforts that were rewarded instead, and left Europe as potentially the best in the region in any role, regardless of the final placing of his team.
North American jungling might be a meme at times, as evidenced by the blaber dynasty of MVPs and title runs, but Inspired immediately elevated the region with a classy and clinical approach to the position. As well as a title and back-to-back finals runs with rookie Mid and ADC stars, arguably the most pivotal carry positions in the region and the game's history, Inspired was again rewarded for his greatness with the MVP trophy. Every head had to bow for the new king of the LCS. Now other player from any role has ever won the MVP of both leagues/regions.
Brain bug
Inspired's play oozes intelligence and his decision-making is masterful. From how refined his pathing can be, echoing the best of G2 Jankos, to his on-the-fly decision-making, reminiscient of peak Meteos, this Jungler can be relied upon to find the right angle and grouping whenever and wherever. If he thinks a move is correct that supercedes whatever his laners might think. They just won't be correct as often. The more stubborn his Mid laner the less success they had together. The pattern is clear. Not that success evades Inspired.
Mechanics can allow a star to outplay a top Asian talent for a moment or even a game, but will ultimately fade against similarly or mightier hands or a more formidable mind. Decision-making and the confidence to execute upon it ruthlessly with a sprinkling of creative flair is what catches the eyes of a top Korean or Chinese player. Inspired exudes such qualities across all levels of play.
Go and look up how many times his teams have hung around in games against the likes of Canyon, Tian and Kanavi or event beaten them when the two line-ups would seemingly not deserve comparison!
Inspired now holds the mantle previously occupied by Diamondprox, another player famous for unique picks and a deadly deep sense of how to make them work. Other roles had Caps, Perkz, Froggen, Alex Ich, xPeke, sOAZ, Mikyx, Hylissang, FORG1VEN, Rekkles, Odoamne and so on. For the Jungle role there are three names to note and Inspired finds himself shadowboxing the other two to top lists for the best to ever do it in the West.
King-of-all-trades
A reason the Jungle position has seen so much variance in performance and results from its stars is how rapidly the meta of picks can change, the outlier dominance of pocket champions and how Riot has fundamentally altered the role season to season. Typically a player is a ganker or a farmer. A mechanical monster or a supportive cover player. Most of the greats survived and succeeded by transitioning from one to the other as their careers progressed.
Inspired has incorporated all of those archetypes until he can manifest them in the same split and carve up the enemy as required. His brightest moments are a blistering hot glue gun searing a shattered mind. This is Jungle excellence made manifest!
"I am a versatile player... I can give it to you any kinda way so how do you want it?"
-Tracy McGrady, NBA Hall of Famer, two time scoring champion and seven time All-NBA star
All hail
Inspired was the best Jungler in the LEC and in the history of Rogue. He was the best Jungler in the LCS and in the history of Evil Geniuses. He is the best Jungler in the LTA and in the history of FlyQuest. The best in the two regions in a single career. One that looks far from over, I will add.
The MSI 2025 main event looms with perhaps the most stacked Jungle field in the history of the competition. Canyon is maybe the best to ever play the role and his team has not lost a series all split. Tarzan is a champion at last, after many tries and teams, and seeks redemption for past international failures. Oner is coming off perhaps his best individual split and looks a demon few can contend with.
Elyoya is Europe's current champion and has a squad that revolves around him in a manner that would tickle the fancy of an astrophysicist as much as a League analyst. JunJia is this generation's Karsa and seeks to put CFO again far beyond the expectations of Westerners who don't watch them play. Even little old SkewMond, the rookie of the bunch, echoes Inspired himself and was described by the man as "EU's Canyon" despite still taking his first steps towards such heights.
Typically such a field should overwhelm hopes and suffocate the dream of Western success, but we have Inspired. Trust in him and sit back as he makes you believe again. It's right there in the name.
