Rookie is completely frustrated, and IG's top laner is on the verge of being finished! If TheShy doesn't return soon, they really won't hold up much longer.

Hello to all LPL viewers and League of Legends summoners, this is Tianxia Game Report.

The first stage of the LPL Knight's Journey has ended, and in the last round, IG swept OMG to advance to the top eight and will meet BLG in the opening playoff round.

This time IG narrowly avoided dropping into the redemption bracket; qualifying for the playoffs is already a completed objective.

Rookie is visibly upset, and the top laner is dangerously close to being finished off.

In the match against OMG, although IG won, top laner Soboro's performance was still criticized by the audience. It didn’t seem like he was just out of form; rather, his skill level couldn’t keep up with the intensity of this competition. He performed decently when winning the German Cup at the end of last year, but this year in the league, his true level was fully exposed.

During previous IG match commentaries, Guan Zeyuan bluntly said that any random viewer sending messages in the live chat could play better than Soboro. He was referring to Soboro’s game against NIP playing Malphite, where he failed to use his ultimate properly in lane and got solo killed, and in team fights used Flash but not his ultimate, resulting in extremely poor performance—almost always losing lane and often leaving the team at a 4v5 disadvantage.

Despite IG winning the match, Rookie maintained a stern expression; during interviews and team selection segments afterward, he kept a dark face, only managing a slight smile when prompted by the host.

The main reason for this situation is Rookie’s dissatisfaction with both the team’s and his own performance. Additionally, the top laner's poor showing is undeniable. When the host asked Rookie to praise Soboro in an interview, Rookie straightforwardly said that Soboro gave away too many kills and that he needed to have a serious talk with him.

If The Shy doesn’t return soon, LPL won’t be able to hold on much longer.

Given Soboro’s performance in the latter half of the group stage and the Knight's Journey, he is already on the verge of being cut. Unless IG suddenly explodes in the playoffs and Soboro drastically improves to positively contribute to the team, IG will definitely replace their top laner after the first stage.

Soboro’s performance has reached near the bottom level in the LPL. Although it’s not as extreme as Guan Zeyuan claimed, IG would rather try another rookie top laner than continue with Soboro.

At this point, everyone remembers one man—The Shy. The current IG and the entire LPL desperately need The Shy’s comeback. IG needs him not only because their top lane is weak but also because last year’s full-star lineup lost its key piece, causing a significant drop in popularity and consequently reducing the team’s revenue.

The LPL itself is facing even worse popularity year after year. This year, live audiences are very sparse, and regular match discussions are quite low. Sometimes they have to rely on Bin’s outrageous remarks off-stage just to generate some buzz. This is clearly an unhealthy situation that requires a star player to boost the scene.

Replacing the top and bottom lanes might lead to better results.

IG’s overall performance this year has been poor, and fans are analyzing the reasons. Rookie’s inconsistent form is often discussed. His playstyle issues persist, but from IG’s perspective, it’s unlikely they will replace their mid laner or even bench Rookie.

To improve IG’s lineup, I personally think the top and bottom lanes need strengthening. The best choice for top lane is definitely The Shy. Even if his impact on results is limited, IG is willing to accept the revenue from the full-star lineup’s popularity.

If The Shy does not return, they could consider bringing in Huxi Ge, who has at least rich experience.

As for the bottom lane, Photic’s performance over the years has never improved; his individual mistakes are too frequent, and his laning is problematic. He simply doesn’t meet the standards of a strong team’s key piece. IG could consider recruiting from the redemption bracket, where several teams performed well after the first stage. Bottom laners like 1xn, Leave, and Starry all seem stronger than Photic.

If they manage to recruit someone from there, IG still has a chance to achieve good results.