Fans wish for the reunion of IG’s three stars

After LPL was once again defeated 3-0 by T1 at the S15 Worlds, numerous LPL fans have become pessimistic about the league’s future, and some have started to view the LPL as a variety show. Many IG supporters hope that the IG management will promptly sign ex-IG player JKL under the new LPL transfer regulations. Many believe that having JKL, TheShy, and ROOKIE together on IG would make the team the biggest traffic draw in LPL, potentially leading the league back to a small peak of popularity.

Currently, TheShy and ROOKIE have confirmed their contract renewals with IG, so all eyes are on IG management’s moves during the transfer window. As discussions heat up externally, LPL champion coach Zhu Kai recently talked about the feasibility and consequences of IG signing JKL during a livestream. Zhu Kai believes it’s almost impossible for IG to sign JKL because JKL holds huge commercial value. As long as TES management continues to operate in LPL, they won’t give up on renewing JKL’s contract, since TES’s popularity and reputation largely come from JKL’s fans. If JKL leaves, TES would completely lose its appeal.

Is IG signing JKL a bad move?

As a streamer, Zhu Kai analyzed the serious consequences that might arise if IG signs JKL. He revealed that this LPL "transfer auction" will use a points-based system where teams with higher points can acquire higher-value players. Points are based on the team’s performance this year, with better results in the league and Worlds granting more points to spend in the auction. However, IG is in a tough spot under this system because they have never won a league championship and their best Worlds result is only reaching the top 17.

This means if IG forcibly signs JKL, they won’t have enough points to buy strong support and jungle players. Many IG fans complain that support Meiko is too timid to initiate fights. So if IG truly wants to build a star-studded lineup, they must consider JKL’s high point cost and the need to replace jungle and support roles. (Unless IG renews contracts with Meiko and jungle WEI, then uses all team points to forcibly buy JKL. Do you think just changing one AD player during the transfer window can change IG’s situation?)

Pros and cons of the new LPL rules

Although it’s very difficult for IG to assemble a star team under the new LPL rules, several changes have been widely accepted and supported by many LPL fans. For example, player salaries will now be linked to team performance, effectively preventing some high-paid players from underperforming intentionally. (This year, JDG’s mid-laner Scout, a top-paid player, performed worse than some LDL rookies and ranked last among mid-laners in the playoffs.)

According to industry insiders, LPL player salaries are officially divided into two parts: a guaranteed base salary (ranging from 20,000 to 100,000 RMB per month) and a win-based bonus. If a player’s win rate is 50%, they receive 50% of the win bonus. If the win rate falls below 30%, the player’s salary will be significantly reduced next year and cannot exceed this year’s total salary. If the win rate drops below 20%, the player will be suspended for one year.

Conclusion

Personally, I feel that if the LPL had implemented this change a couple of years earlier, the league’s international results this year wouldn’t be so disappointing. Of course, it’s good that the LPL officials are willing to make this change. I think it’s a positive move because there were too many “veterans” slacking off in the league, which prevented many promising LDL rookies from getting game time. With this new rule, LPL stars can no longer coast on their reputation, and weaker players will be quickly filtered out to make room for new talent. What do you think about the reasonableness of the new LPL season rules?