The LPL World Championship qualifiers are about to start in one day. In the fight for the third seed between IG and TES, both analysts and viewers doubt IG’s ability to win. This is mainly due to their disappointing playoff showing: Rookie’s slump, Wei’s lack of control, and the top and bottom lanes not rising to the occasion in tough matches. Given this state, IG doesn’t seem to stand a chance against Top Esports, who have already played two full BO5 series against BLG.

However, Top Esports is also a rather “unpredictable” team. Just when everyone believes they will easily win, someone tends to make critical mistakes. So the outcome of this match is still uncertain. But if IG enters the play-in stage still in their playoff form, they will almost certainly be eliminated quickly, since the current jungle meta doesn’t favor the kind of champions Wei plays, like Qiyana.

Throughout the playoffs, Wei has used 8 different champions: Zed, Sylas, and Kindred each appeared once, while the rest were warriors and tanks. Clearly, under the global pick-and-ban system, Wei’s champion pool doesn’t perfectly fit the meta. This has resulted in rather embarrassing playoff stats. Recently, the LoL analyst “Hardworking Lianxiang” shared data on players from all positions across the 8 playoff teams. Let’s take a look at Wei’s stats.

Wei ranks eighth among junglers in damage share, damage per minute, damage taken per death, and KDA. Meanwhile, in participation rate, gold per minute, CS per minute, and kill plus assist count, he ranks last, ninth out of nine. Among the 8 teams and 9 junglers, Wei’s stats are either second to last or last. For comparison, EDG’s Xiaohao and NIP’s Naiyou have several metrics in the top three.

Compared to his peers, Wei even ranks below two junglers who emerged from the promotion group. This is partly because IG played more matches. If EDG and NIP’s junglers improve slightly, the three might be comparable. Looking at the data, many might conclude that Wei is dragging IG down, which is undeniable. However, IG’s poor playoff results mainly stem from issues in the mid and top lanes.

In the regular season, IG’s winning strategy relied on Wei supporting the mid and top lanes. At that time, Rookie was in good form and had an edge over opponents. With Wei’s help, early laning and mid-game rotations were smooth. The top lane, with TheShy’s aggressive playstyle, often pressured opponents, with Wei assisting in tower dives or counter-ganks. When the bottom lane was stable, IG could secure advantages on at least two lanes in the early game.

But playoffs are different. Rookie’s form declined, and the opponents in top and bottom lanes became stronger, making it harder to gain advantages. When all three lanes are at a disadvantage, the jungler is left unsure how to impact the game, as focusing on one side leaves the other exposed. Therefore, for IG to regain their regular season strength in the play-ins, the mid lane must first recover. If the top lane falls behind, having mid lane advantage can still help secure resources.

If the mid lane collapses, not only are resources lost, but vision control is also suppressed, putting the team at a disadvantage in team fights. Ultimately, the biggest problem lies with Rookie. Moreover, in the current jungle-centric meta, Wei’s reluctance to pick jungle carries puts pressure on the pick-and-ban phase. If he doesn’t select these champions, the team must either ban them or leave them open, which risks opponents picking strong heroes.

Conclusion:

During the recent offseason, Wei has been practicing Qiyana, though it’s unclear if he will dare to use her in matches. Even without jungle carries, IG’s strength isn’t weak if their mid lane performs well. Currently, champions like Jarvan, Xin Zhao, and Wukong are viable, and Sejuani and Skarner still have a place. For example, in BLG’s match against Top Esports, Shad0w didn’t use any jungle carries but still won the game.

So, who do you think is the biggest problem for IG?

Feel free to leave your thoughts and join the discussion!