Introduction: The S15 season has officially started, and the vast majority of players have been paying attention to the recent showdowns. The LPL region's matches are all finished, with IG team successfully beating JDG 3-1 to claim the 4th seed. This outcome surprised many fans, since IG had lost three BO5 series before, and even Guan Zeyuan thought IG might become a "ticket seller." After the match, the director's screen instantly sparked heated discussion online, as crying sounds seemed to be heard during the live broadcast. Could it be that the director was moved to tears by IG? Indeed, IG’s 4th seed thrilled many fans, and tickets for the opening match against T1 have been scalped heavily, reportedly rising from 380 to 5000.

LPL backstage director brought to tears by IG

Most players still pay close attention to the LPL region, which has seen very high popularity and enthusiasm this season, mainly due to IG’s roster rebuild that gave fans hope. Over the year, IG’s overall form steadily improved, even reaching second place in the third stage of the regular season. However, in the playoffs, they became "ticket sellers," losing consecutively to BLG and AL, and being crushed by TES in the first round of the play-in, missing out on the 3rd seed. Before facing JDG, many players had a bad feeling and expected IG to be eliminated.

I doubt anyone expected this final result. IG defeated JDG 3-1 to take the 4th seed spot. In the first game, at eight minutes, IG was struggling and forced a team fight, but due to miscoordination, JDG secured a zero-for-four exchange, putting IG at a huge disadvantage. Scout’s play was outstanding, landing perfect ultimates multiple times, and the first game ended in just 28 minutes. In the second game’s early stage, JDG gained a significant lead. At four minutes, Peyz delayed under tower, and JDG’s mid-jungle support achieved a one-for-two trade. By six minutes, JDG had the upper hand. For the first 25 minutes, it seemed JDG would close it out, but unexpectedly at 28 minutes Gala’s flawless play turned the game around. Xun took the MVP, with Gala ranking second.

In the third game, top laner TheShy was under heavy pressure, being solo killed twice by Xiao Xu’s Renekton by eight minutes. Still, TheShy’s Jayce dealt terrifying damage despite no kills, outputting 30,000 damage in the 29-minute fight. The crucial fourth game saw Wei on Zyra controlling the pace perfectly, securing two dragons by 12 minutes. The first team fight only started at 15 minutes, where IG exchanged two for four. At 17 minutes, Wei made a decisive call; although Rookie was caught, IG secured the dragon soul. With Gala stealing the ocean drake with a well-timed arrow, IG comfortably clinched the 4th seed.

If you watched closely at the very end, you could clearly hear crying sounds during the broadcast, which likely were not from the official caster but probably the director’s tears captured live. Indeed, IG was so overwhelming that they even moved the director to tears. After the match, insiders revealed that JDG has invested over 40 million yuan for two consecutive years but still failed to reach Worlds. Sometimes, sheer investment isn’t enough. JDG definitely needs to adjust, and many still don’t understand why Coach Redmi was let go.

Farewell thoughts

Like many fans, I didn’t believe IG could make it to Worlds before the match. Even Guan Zeyuan publicly said IG might repeat WE’s fate and become "ticket sellers." The hype around the Worlds opener between IG and T1 is intense, and fans find it irresistible. Some say the 380 ticket price has been scalped up to 5000, and it’s unclear how high it will go.

What do all of you viewers think about this situation?