With the Spring Festival concluded, the LPL's first split playoffs are about to kick off. On the first day, the upper bracket's four teams started competing: JD Gaming versus Top Esports, and AL against WE. That second match was quite one-sided—AL’s solid strength is far ahead of WE. Barring surprises, AL is expected to win 3-0, though if their form dips, WE could possibly claim a victory.

On paper, JD Gaming is slightly stronger than Top Esports, but JD’s players were inconsistent during the group stage. Both teams have a chance to win; it mainly depends on their performance on game day. After such a long Spring Festival break, players might be a bit lax. Although they resumed practice two days early, their form might not fully recover. Personally, I think JD has the edge because Gazi has gained 10 pounds.

LCK final ticket prices have crashed.

This year, to increase revenue, the LCK officially moved the first split final overseas. Before T1 was eliminated, scalpers drove ticket prices sky-high, with front-row seats reselling for seven or eight thousand yuan on secondary markets. However, after T1 lost two consecutive matches and was knocked out, ticket prices for the final instantly halved. Prices fell sharply across all seating zones, dropping by hundreds to several thousands of yuan.

Scalpers who bought final tickets are now dumbfounded. They had hoped to profit once T1 reached the final, but after Faker couldn’t attend, the final’s appeal plummeted, and ticket prices were slashed drastically. This shows how uniquely popular T1 is in the LCK. The upcoming Mid-Season Invitational may also lose much of its hype due to T1’s absence. Riot probably didn’t expect this—starting 6-0 but then losing two playoff matches in a row is indeed rare.

Oner was criticized so much he had to disable comments.

T1’s run ended in the semifinals, and the harshest criticism fell on Peyz. Management tried to save costs by signing an AD player rejected by GEN and JDG. During the regular season, he seemed promising, but in playoffs, Peyz’s flaws were exposed. He often struggled in lane and disappeared in losing games. Even the world’s top support couldn’t carry him, showing his individual skill is somewhat weak. Besides Peyz, Oner was also heavily criticized.

In five matches, Oner lost several dragons to opponents. After the games, many fans blamed him, and his YouTube channel has now disabled comments, likely due to harsh criticism. Honestly, he won the last two games, but if fewer dragons had been lost, T1 might have had a chance to win. However, the blame doesn’t lie solely on the jungler—poor communication between players caused issues with smite and boots coordination.

Xu revealed his desire to compete in the Asian Games.

After DK defeated T1, their next match is against BFX. If they win, DK will join GEN to participate in the Mid-Season Invitational. Both teams have beaten T1 in playoffs, and their skill gap is minimal. Before facing T1, no one favored DK, but they pulled off the upset. The outcome will again depend on the bottom lane—between the young talents DaBoLuo and SiMaShi, whoever gains the advantage will likely decide the match.

DK’s jungler Lucid is very confident. In a recent interview, he stated: “Xu and I are on par with any mid-jungle duo.” Lucid also revealed that Xu expressed a desire to attend the Asian Games. If memory serves, players without a high school diploma only need to fulfill community service. Xu’s wish to compete means he would truly be representing the country, though with DaChao and Faker in mid lane, it will be tough for him to make the team.

Conclusion:

The selection criteria for LCK players at the Asian Games mainly depend on Mid-Season Invitational results. If DK qualifies, Xu might have a chance to be Chovy’s substitute. The opportunity exists, but the priority is to first beat BFX. If they can’t even reach the final, then the Asian Games dream is unlikely.

So, what do you think—can DK make it to the final?

Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments!