The LPL first stage qualifiers will start in two days. Because WE and NIP in the Resolute group share identical records, they must play a tiebreaker to settle rankings. Officially, the fifth seed from the Pinnacle group takes on the top team from the Resolute group, and the sixth seed faces the second. Top Esports, no matter the opponent, is expected to qualify for the playoffs. Their recent strong performance is clear to all, and with JD Gaming and BLG beatable, facing the Resolute teams poses little difficulty.

As for IG, as long as they avoid facing WE, they should also make the playoffs. Although NIP has decent strength, they are close to tanking, so there is still a gap compared to Pinnacle group teams. Of course, if IG can perform at the level they showed against JD Gaming, they should be able to overcome either WE or NIP. If they can’t win in the first round, they’ll have to face teams from the Phoenix group in the third round. It’s uncertain whether IG will slip up then.

Little Lü Bu vows to uphold dignity

The LCK first stage qualifiers have already begun. On the previous match day, DRX and BRO fought fiercely for three games, with DRX ultimately advancing to the second round. Meanwhile, KT was swept 0-3 by DNS and eliminated outright. Last year, KT was the world runner-up; this year, they can’t even reach the playoffs. KT changed their bot lane duo during the transfer period, seeming to cut right to the core. However, even the star-studded HLE was eliminated, so KT might have to accept this fate as well.

After HLE’s failure to advance, many players have been streaming recently. During a recent stream, Little Lü Bu declared: I will protect my dignity in the remaining matches. The three-time champion AD has fallen to the point of just trying to keep his honor — that’s really tough to endure. If HLE wants to perform well in the second stage, they really need to consider changing their jungler. Kanavi’s reckless playstyle doesn’t fit HLE’s style at all and only ends up hurting the team.

Deft returns to the scene after military service

Legendary LOL AD player Deft officially completed his military service and was discharged in November this year. His good friend Semb recently visited him. Deft, sporting a buzz cut, looked a bit dazed, suggesting his time in service was tough. However, not long ago, Deft was promoted to corporal and was given a dedicated gaming training room by the military. According to Semb’s stream, Deft plans to continue his professional career after discharge.

Born in 1996, Deft is nearly 31 after finishing his military service. There aren’t many players who continue competing at this age besides DaMu and CoreJJ. Old Li is the oldest, but he’s the same age as Deft and likely influenced by Faker to keep playing. After two years away from the scene, it’s uncertain whether Deft can maintain his form, since not everyone can be like Faker.

TheChieftain responds to Little Bear’s shrugging moment

LPL official commentator Guan Zeyuan recently launched an esports show called “So It Is.” The most veteran LPL player, the first registered player TheChieftain, along with EDG manager Abu and mid laner Angel, were invited. In the interview, TheChieftain responded for the first time to the story behind Little Bear’s famous shrug. He revealed that the situation was: the opponents kept invading his jungle, the bottom lane kept calling for help, but how could he go?

Guan Zeyuan later posted: Could he have gone at that time? TheChieftain said: From a coach’s perspective now, definitely yes. But at that moment, playing a strong jungler like Hecarim, having a weak Gragas invading was very annoying. The key was that people kept calling for help, which completely blew his mindset. Abu added that he just wanted to provoke TheChieftain into expressing what he really felt.

Conclusion:

This year’s LCK is quite interesting. HLE is on break until April, KT was upset and eliminated early, and DNS, one of the worst teams in LCK, actually swept KT. Honestly, it’s a bit surreal. The funniest part is that the bot lane duo KT dropped now plays for DNS. It’s unclear what the management was thinking, replacing Aming with a player who underperformed so badly.

So, what do you think — can Auntie keep her dignity in the second stage?

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