LPL reenacts the Phoenix tragedy, OMG’s mid laner Haichao’s spirit shattered, broken down by Rookie, feeling deeply ashamed

Greetings to all LPL fans and League of Legends summoners, this is Tianxia Game Report.

The first split of this year’s LPL Knight’s Journey ended before the New Year. With the addition of the Resilience Group, LPL conducted a three-group team competition for the first time. The Phoenix Group was soundly defeated, while two teams from the Resilience Group managed to advance smoothly.

IG, which was originally in a very dangerous spot, managed to survive by winning a nail-biting final match against OMG.

Haichao’s spirit broken, openly expresses shame

During the recent Spring Festival, OMG’s mid laner Haichao posted a Weibo message that sparked widespread discussion. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Haichao lamented his professional career, feeling it was a failure and very embarrassing. He entered the LPL at 19, but after several years, he still has no significant achievements and is constantly accused of throwing matches.

Editor’s note

However, Haichao later stated that he will not give up and will keep working hard.

This statement caused quite a stir, with opinions sharply divided. Many viewers had previously suspected Haichao of match-fixing in numerous games. Even back when he was with LGD, his style was strong early game but inexplicably would throw away advantages mid-game.

Editor’s note

Haichao once outperformed Knight in a match against BLG, which allowed him to leave LGD and join the stronger LNG. However, his performance there was poor, and during the transfer period, no good teams wanted to sign him. Eventually, he joined OMG and competed in the Phoenix Group. Yet, this year in the Knight’s Journey, OMG fell short and failed to reach the playoffs.

During last year’s transfer window, Haichao also posted a controversial Weibo message roughly saying: “No one believes in you, Chao, time to prove yourself again.”

Broken mentally by Rookie, just one step away from advancing

That Weibo post triggered a lot of negative reactions from fans. Many bluntly called Haichao the biggest salary thief. LNG paid a high price to sign him because he performed well at LGD and even solo killed Knight, but after moving to LNG, his play was terrible.

After becoming a free agent, he posted about wanting to prove himself again, which came off as somewhat passive-aggressive, as if blaming strong teams for not giving him a chance or not believing in him. The truth is, his own performance was poor.

Now, after failing with OMG, Haichao’s mental defenses collapsed, and he feels deeply ashamed for not proving his strength.

Looking back at previous matches, it’s clear Haichao was mentally broken by IG, especially Rookie. Despite Rookie’s earlier poor form, he earned MVP against OMG, completely dominating Haichao in lane, and OMG was thoroughly defeated without any resistance.

What’s even more absurd is that OMG had previously beaten EDG easily, and EDG’s record in the Resilience Group was the same as NIP’s, who in turn easily defeated IG. By normal logic, OMG should have had the advantage over IG, but instead, they were crushed. This is likely one of the main reasons behind Haichao’s shattered spirit.

LPL replays the Phoenix tragedy, making it hard for dark horses to emerge

In my opinion, Haichao missed a crucial opportunity in his career. After joining LNG, his poor performance could be due to two reasons: either he lacks the talent to be a top player, or he hasn’t put in enough effort.

If it’s the former, no amount of effort will make him more than a lower-tier league player. But if it’s the latter, then his current downfall is simply because he failed to seize the opportunity.

Now missing the chance to enter the Pinnacle Group means he must continue to lie low and wait for his breakthrough moment.

If Haichao is truly ambitious, as he said, he should not give up even while in the Phoenix Group. The current LPL competition is at its weakest level in history. If you are strong enough, no matter your team’s strength, you will be noticed and have opportunities to join top teams. Otherwise, you will likely remain stuck in the Phoenix Group forever.

This year, the LPL again reenacted the Phoenix tragedy. Besides OMG, LNG also suffered heavy defeats despite being favored. It shows that the current competitive environment in LPL makes it very difficult for any dark horse teams to emerge, and the gap with the LCK will only continue to widen.