Introduction: The S16 season matches have officially started, and most players have been paying close attention to the recent clashes. The LPL playoffs are highly competitive. In the first round, WBG triumphed over IG with a clean 3-0 victory to move forward. Despite being a lopsided game, there were numerous reversals from both sides. Especially in the first game, IG even attempted a base steal but failed, allowing WBG to end the game in one decisive push. This match brought great joy to Xiaohu, who achieved his second pentakill in his professional career and publicly thanked Rookie in front of Xiaoyu. Without JiGe’s mistakes, it would have been impossible.

Xiaohu's second pentakill in his professional career.

Most players are quite familiar with the WBG team. As this season’s ultimate all-Chinese roster, their overall popularity and hype are very high. Fans hope this team can lead the LPL to some strong results. However, their performance since the regular season has been less than ideal, with many issues in team coordination. Their AD player, elk, has been the most consistent performer. After the playoffs began, their first-round opponent was IG. There was a noticeable gap between the two teams, and ultimately, WBG swept IG 3-0 to secure the first-round victory.

The first game was a top-tier feast, essentially a classic Chinese battle of who could give kills faster. The match lasted 45 minutes with constant back-and-forth exchanges and mutual sacrifices. Had IG not tried a sneaky base steal instead of grouping for a team fight, the game might have continued much longer. Fans joked whether the all-Chinese team was actually speaking Chinese or English, as they seemed unfamiliar with each other. Even commentator Guan Zeyuan was relieved that only three people were working, so he didn’t have to vote for MVP on both sides. Many viewers commented that the humor was more entertaining than "Fast and Furious," and the fights were more thrilling than "The Transporter."

The last two games were relatively more standard. The second game was a classic example of "Baron Nashor ruining everything." IG had an economic advantage but chose to take Baron, which WBG capitalized on to turn the game around instantly. In the final teamfight, Xiaohu’s Alora secured a quadruple kill. During the base push, the team voice chat was confident Rookie wouldn’t throw the game, and even Xiaohu had low expectations. But Rookie actually came out to defend the lane, clearly handing Xiaohu the pentakill. The third game was similarly clean and decisive. IG secured three dragons in the first 19 minutes but then got wiped in a teamfight, losing all their economy. It seemed their laning phase was decent, but they completely collapsed during mid-game skirmishes.

In the post-match interview, Xiaohu cheekily used his ultimate near host Xiaoyu’s face. Xiaoyu asked: "In your long LPL career, this is your second pentakill. How did you feel mentally? How was the communication at that moment?" Xiaohu replied: "It’s pretty hard for mid laners to get pentakills. At first, I thought JiGe wouldn’t give it, but in the end, he came to defend the base and handed me the pentakill. So, thanks to Rookie." It was clear Xiaohu was very happy, as pentakills are extremely tempting for pro players—sometimes even more exciting than receiving prize money.

Farewell thoughts

Xiaohu has been a professional player for over a decade, yet surprisingly, he has only achieved two pentakills in his career. Judging from these recent LPL matches, the overall strength of the teams isn’t as strong as people imagined. Except for AL and BLG teams, other teams are quite average. Even the winning teams played rather poorly. If nothing unexpected happens, the upcoming global VCT event will likely be dominated by AL and BLG, as they are already on a different level compared to the others.

What do all of you viewers think about this situation?