A ray of hope shines bright for North American fans with how FlyQuest performed in Worlds.
Amid the rollercoaster of emotions that was the League of Legends (LoL) World Championship 2024, FlyQuest’s performance offered a ray of hope for North American fans.
Even if the LoL Championship Series (LCS) bowing out in the quarterfinals, FlyQuest's journey — and especially the emergence of their rookie ADC, Fahad "Massu" Abdulmalek, has given the North American LoL scene something to be proud of.
FlyQuest finished 5th-8th, but their final match against LoL Champions Korea (LCK) powerhouse Gen.G was nothing short of spectacular. The series went the distance, stretching into Silver Scrapes, and nearly culminated in one of the biggest upsets in LoL Esports history.
The LCS first seed had already demonstrated their strength in the Swiss Stage, going 2-1 and taking games off formidable opponents. Even after losing to Hanwha Life Esports, FlyQuest’s ability to claim a game from the South Korean titans sent a clear message: they could hold their own against the best.
But the quarterfinals clash with Gen.G truly set FlyQuest apart. While the team collectively shone that day, one player stood out in particular: Massu, the rookie ADC who rose to the occasion in his first Worlds appearance.
Lessons learned in Massu's first Worlds experience
Following the quarterfinals, Massu reflected on his debut at the World Championship during a media scrum, discussing how competing on the international stage accelerated his development. “This Worlds has been really, really great. It's really nice just to face really good competition. You pick up a lot. I think I accelerate my learning quite a bit whenever I go to an international.”
He spoke candidly about the areas where he felt he could improve, especially regarding in-game planning and communication. "There’s too many to list, but some of the biggest ones are probably I really need to work on my planning in-game, and just how I communicate in general."
When asked about his most memorable moments from the tournament, Massu highlighted the entire experience but especially the intense series against Gen.G. "The entire event has been pretty memorable, but maybe... I guess the series [with Gen.G] would be the most memorable one."
FlyQuest’s tactical approach
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Massu offered insights into FlyQuest’s preparation for their quarterfinals match against Gen.G, a team widely considered tournament favourites. Despite being underdogs, FlyQuest had studied Gen.G’s tendencies and came prepared with a plan to shake things up.
"We kind of noticed Gen.G is basically very close to us in playstyle. They like to draft scaling and kind of just get as much gold and just beat out teams in team fights," Massu explained. FlyQuest’s strategy involved creating discomfort for Gen.G through unconventional picks, such as Seraphine mid and Sett top, aimed at disrupting their flow.
Though some picks, like Sett, didn’t quite hit the mark, the plan to dictate the pace and pull Gen.G out of their comfort zone kept FlyQuest in contention. As Massu noted, “We kind of made them play our game in terms of scaling. We had picks they haven’t versed that much before.”
Competing with the best![]()
FlyQuest’s performance against Gen.G sparked a broader discussion about North America’s ability to compete with the dominant regions of Korea and China. Massu was optimistic, seeing FlyQuest’s near-upset as proof that North American teams can stand toe-to-toe with the best, provided they stick to their strengths.
"I think the biggest part that we showed is if you stick to your team's strengths and you kind of play your own meta—you have your own picks that you know how to play, you have your own comps that you know how to pilot—I think that's a really important part when you go up against eastern teams."
For Massu, this year’s Worlds showed that North America is on the right path and that there's “good hope for next year."
The road ahead
Though their Worlds 2024 campaign ended sooner than hoped, FlyQuest and Massu have plenty to build on for the future. For the rookie ADC, in particular, the experience was invaluable. He demonstrated not only his ability to go head-to-head with the world’s best but also his potential as a key figure in FlyQuest’s lineup moving forward.
With a strong foundation and lessons learned from his first Worlds, Massu’s future looks bright. As FlyQuest continue to refine their strategies and grow, it’s clear that both the team and its promising bot laner have much more to offer in the seasons ahead.
