Introduction: The S16 season matches have officially started, and the majority of players have been paying attention to the recent clashes. The LPL regular season has concluded entirely. Because WE and NIP teams ended their group stage tied, an extra online tiebreaker match was added to determine their rankings. However, this match sparked widespread criticism online, especially targeting WE’s jungler Monki, who, despite having the advantage, repeatedly fed kills and disrupted the team’s rhythm. What should have been a winnable game was lost due to his mistakes, leading many fans to question whether the LPL is now openly involved in match-fixing.

Is the LPL openly engaging in match-fixing now?

Most players remain highly interested in the new season’s matches. After NIP defeated WE 2-0, the group stage ended, and the knockout stage brackets were finalized, with NIP set to face IG and WE matched against TES. Since both teams had identical records and scores after the regular season, an official online BO3 tiebreaker was held. This 2-0 result sparked widespread discussion across the community. WE became the center of criticism — was this a new "Oscar night," or blatant match-fixing?

The main focus of discussion is their jungler and captain Monki. In the first game, NIP had a slight lead early on but made mistakes mid-game, allowing WE to seize control. Just when it seemed WE would take the first point, they faltered during the Baron fight. NIP's jungler Kiana capitalized on the opportunity and secured the Baron with Smite at low health. Then Monki’s Xin Zhao charged into the pit alone, with no teammate support, engaging in a suicidal fight. The move itself wasn’t terrible, but the enemy’s burst damage was too overwhelming, and he was instantly killed.

Even after losing Baron, WE still held some advantage and could have won by playing carefully. However, during a fight near the red buff, Xin Zhao made another critical mistake. With Bomb and Gwen split on top and bottom lanes, he dove in alone, facing four enemies without any backup. This disastrous teamfight collapse allowed NIP to complete their comeback. The final decisive fight was at the second dragon, which NIP had already secured. Xin Zhao still recklessly dove the enemy support despite being outnumbered four to five. The screen was full of chaotic damage — it looked incredibly fake. It’s hard to tell if this was another "Oscar night," blatant acting, or just pure incompetence.

Similarly, in the second game, the jungler’s performance was poor again. Despite gaining a small early lead, he forced the team into bad situations around the top blue buff, venturing in alone while teammates followed, only to be counter-encircled by NIP. This caused them to lose their early advantage of two dragons. After this BO3 online showdown, the community pointed fingers at Monki. As WE’s captain, his reckless plays were too frequent. While the team had the upper hand, he kept giving away momentum. It’s unclear if they genuinely wanted to lose or were just acting. Logically, TES is stronger now, and both teams should want to win.

Farewell thoughts

It’s becoming hard to understand LPL matches, especially for mid-to-lower tier teams. Anyone playing in LPL-level matches must be more than average esports players, yet sometimes their gameplay seems less smooth than normal ranked players. Regular players avoid such reckless moves, but these pros repeatedly feed kills. Maybe it’s just a difference in understanding between pros and casual players. Hopefully, these are just moments of poor judgment rather than intentional.

Dear viewers, what are your thoughts on this matter?