The first segment of the LPL season has ended the Knight's path. Following the last match before the New Year, the official team selection event was held live. AL, leading the Pinnacle Group, opted to face WE. Shanks showed consideration for his old team, seizing every opportunity to pick WE and dominate them. BLG, placed second, went with NIP. Compared to the remaining two teams, NIP is relatively easier to handle, and both should secure victories.

WBG had to choose between IG and TES. During the group stage, TES defeated BLG, so no one wanted to pick them. Weibo had no choice but to face IG, while JD, as the last to pick, had to go against TES. These last two matches are uncertain for Weibo and JD, especially since TES has a very high ceiling. JD might be the first among the top four teams to stumble.

LCK reveals the Asian Games coaching staff

Recently, LCK media reported that Coach Hirai will serve as the dedicated supervisor for the League of Legends event at the 2026 Nagoya Asian Games. Throughout his coaching career, Hirai hasn't achieved outstanding results. When leading KZ and KT, he won a league championship once. Compared to Kooma and Hongmi, his experience is slightly less impressive. LCK doesn't allow active coaches to serve as Asian Games supervisors, so they had to select a free agent.

In the last Asian Games, Kooma was able to participate because he was teamless at the time. Once the coach was confirmed, the players were considered. Da Chao and Old Li would definitely attend. The remaining spots were likely filled from T1 and GEN. Kiin on top lane seemed secure, Xiao K as support was undisputed, Oner was probably the jungler, and for AD, Shidi was a strong candidate. Thus, the final roster was a mix of GEN and T1 players.

Bin shares a late-night workout video

Since losing to AL in the final match, Bin's mental state has seemed a bit off. A few days ago, Gala posted workout photos, and Bin boasted that his talent was better than Gazi’s but he just hadn’t trained seriously. After being teased by fans, Bin started getting serious. At 3 a.m., he posted a gym video captioned: secretly losing weight during the New Year to outwork you all. In the video, Bin is seen lifting weights in the gym, sweat covering his face.

Weight loss is achievable with enough effort, but developing abs like Gazi’s is honestly challenging for Bin given his physique. Since his debut, he’s been seen as a bit chubby and prone to gaining weight. Intense weight loss won’t show quick results, and the biggest concern is that overtraining might cause his performance to drop, just like Gazi’s did.

Peyz aims for the top spot on Korean servers for T1

The Korean LoL server rankings have become extremely competitive lately. The DK mid and top duo have consistently held the top two spots. Recently, Siwoo reached number one, but Xu Ge reclaimed it soon after. Among the top five, besides the mid and top players, there’s also DK’s jungler Lucid, DNS’s support Peter, and T1’s bottom laner Peyz. The point differences are very close: the leader Xu Ge has 2024 points, while fifth-ranked Lucid has 1951, only 73 points apart.

During a recent stream, a fan commented that T1 hasn’t been number one for a long time. Hearing this, Peyz immediately decided to push for the top spot on the Korean server. He currently has 1981 points, 43 behind Xu Ge. With a winning streak, he could claim the number one rank. This effort to climb the leaderboard has greatly boosted his popularity. It remains to be seen if Old Li can help Peyz realize his dream of winning a world championship this year.

Conclusion:

The LCK Asian Games roster is pretty straightforward—only players from GEN and T1 will be selected. Our region is currently facing some difficulties. The head coach will likely be Tabe, as he is the most recognized domestic coach. Selecting players won’t be easy; Left Hand is definitely a sure pick, and Bin should also make it. The other positions remain uncertain.

So, who do you think the LPL should pick for the Asian Games?

Feel free to leave your comments and join the discussion!