Preface: The S15 season matches have officially begun, and most players have been closely following the recent confrontations. The competitions across major regions are extremely intense. From the current overall competitive landscape, the LPL region's strength is relatively average, while the LCK region boasts stronger top teams. Recently, an interview collage featuring LCK's top teams sparked widespread discussion among players online, unsurprisingly. The three ace teams from LCK all want to face IG in this World Championship, but it seems IG's qualification is uncertain. The posters between TES and IG are also dramatic, with Zhan Ji being cut off and landing banned.
Most players are quite familiar with the LCK region. Recognized as the world's number one region, LCK has developed rapidly over recent years with outstanding results. Since EDG's championship, LPL hasn't won the World Championship again; every year, the competition has been dominated by LCK. This season, LCK remains stable with four confirmed teams: Gen.G, HLE, KT, and T1. Except for KT, all seem to have a chance at the title, especially T1. Although they are the fourth seed in LCK, their performance typically improves significantly during Worlds.
As the matches progress, the LPL region's play-in matches have attracted widespread attention. The clash between IG and TES will decide LPL's third seed, arguably the most crucial spot, since the fourth seed must face T1 in a do-or-die match. On the world stage, few teams can withstand T1's pressure, especially in recent years. Before the match, both teams released posters. IG's starting lineup includes TheShy, Wei, Rookie, Gala, and Meiko. Their poster directly challenges TES, banning them from landing. The offensive intensity is maxed out.
TES's starting roster remains unchanged: 369, Kanavi, Bae "Canyon" Sang-beom, JKL, and Hang. Their poster shows a sword cutting Zhan Ji, clearly aiming to secure LPL's third seed. Indeed, as the team with points advantage, although they have two chances to qualify, there's a high risk of becoming ticket sellers. Consecutive BO5 matches may heavily affect players' mental state, as teams reaching play-ins are all quite strong. As Worlds approach, some LCK interviews have also sparked online discussion, surprisingly showing all three ace teams targeting IG.
First, Gen.G's Chovy stated that if given a chance to face IG among Chinese teams, it would be very interesting. His gaze was firm, likely understanding that defeating IG would shatter many LPL fans' confidence. T1's top laner Doran and HLE's top laner Zeus also publicly expressed their desire to compete against TheShy. Recently, TheShy has demonstrated strong individual skills. Although many LPL fans hope IG secures the spot, the current performance makes it uncertain.
IG's popularity this season is indeed notable, but their performance in the third phase playoffs is disappointing, especially with two consecutive losses in the knockout stage, being completely crushed. After losing to BLG, it seems the players lost confidence, particularly mid laner Rookie, who was on fire during the regular season but became the team's biggest liability in playoffs.
What do you all think about this situation?