The first-ever 5FMVP lineup in KPL history debuts as Wolf Team faces KSG; can JDG secure a victorious start?

The much-anticipated 2025 KPL Annual Finals are finally underway! Everyone is looking forward to the three matches on the first day! Despite the division into Da Shuai and Elite groups, teams from the Elite group can still comfortably beat Masters group teams if they are in good form.

In the opening game, the victor could very well be JDG from the Elite group!DRG’s performance in the summer season has been quite disappointing. From being the runner-up in the finals after fighting through the losers’ bracket in the spring season, they have now slipped to the lower-middle tier of the league, failing to hold onto the S group for three rounds and exiting the playoffs after just one round. Their current Masters group spot is mainly due to their spring season points buffer.

On the other hand, JDG has clearly become DRG’s new nemesis this summer. They handed DRG their first loss in the third round of the regular season after DRG dropped to Group A, and then eliminated DRG 4-3 in the first round of playoffs. Even with starting lineups against each other, JDG managed to double sweep DRG. Today, with DRG still dealing with the “Masters rotation” disadvantage, can JDG achieve a triple sweep over Foshan DRG?

The second match features Wolf Team versus KSG!Wolf Team showed some improvement in the summer season but not significantly. They still can’t beat a full-strength AG, and they were eliminated by WB again. Both of their spring season nemeses remain hurdles they can’t surpass. Therefore, Wolf Team made adjustments for this annual final, dropping Feng Xiao and reinstating Dao Zai; they also borrowed Sakura and brought in Xin to put pressure on returning starters Gui Qi and Yi Sheng, who have shown inconsistent performances in recent seasons. The plan looks promising, but the real test will be on the battlefield.

KSG’s summer season progress from a first-round exit to firmly holding a top-6 spot in the S group shows the impact of their major roster changes. Although the team still has many weaknesses, their roster strength makes them very competitive within the Elite group.

The third match is likely the most predictable one!AG Super Play continues to be “invincible” in 2025. Although they lost three BO5 matches in the regular season, they remain an unbeatable peak in the playoffs. Their familiar path of sweeping through the winners’ bracket and dominating the finals to claim the championship continues, adding another consecutive title. Their starting lineup’s FMVP count has increased from three to four. With the addition of the loaned player Tan Ran, we might witness the first-ever 5FMVP lineup in KPL history.

This year’s EDG roster no longer includes Chu Chen, officially promoting Xia Ling. The shooting support duo has changed to Ming Ming and Xiao Ying. Let’s see what changes this new lineup brings to EDG.

In Season 41, Guan Yu has become the new overpowering hero. Last season, Guan Yu rose strongly due to equipment enhancements, and his gear remains unchanged this season. Guan Yu’s basic attacks can now critically strike; when using enhanced attacks to push enemies, critical damage can be dealt. The pushing damage is much higher than before, and even without skills, just using enhanced basic attacks to push can instantly eliminate enemies. When there are many fragile heroes, choosing Guan Yu is simply devastating.

If you want to climb ranks with a mid-lane hero, pick Haiyue. By the end of Season 40, Haiyue was already considered an overpowered mage, and this season maintains that strength. Haiyue has long-range attacks, strong crowd control, and an ultimate that can create an unbeatable battlefield split. The ultimate can pull the strongest or highest damage enemy into it; if they are killed, the team wins the fight easily, and if not, it still reduces the enemy’s output time significantly. The ultimate is truly unstoppable.