Introduction: The S16 season has officially started, and it’s believed that nearly all players have been paying attention to the recent clashes. The LPL region’s matches have been fiercely competitive, and the playoffs have drawn significant attention online. AL team is considered the most popular squad this season; as the regular season leader, they had the right to pick their opponent first. Shanks lived up to expectations by selecting his former team WE. The match ended comfortably with a 3-0 sweep, propelling AL to the second fastest in LPL history. After the game, Shanks sharply commented on his old teammate Cube with just one word: "trash." This shows how close their relationship really is.

AL breaks into LPL history as the second fastest

Most players are quite familiar with the AL team. As a top-tier squad in the LPL, their performance has been outstanding since last season’s roster overhaul. Achieving great results on a modest budget has boosted their popularity significantly. Over the past year, although they haven’t won any world-class titles, many doubted the team’s sustainability. However, thanks to the efforts of their manager, Aixiang, AL managed to renew contracts with all five starters, only changing the coaching staff. Considering AL's limited budget, this renewal was possible because the players made concessions.

Throughout the first phase of the regular season, AL maintained a very steady pace, comfortably securing first place without much disruption from coaching changes. In the playoffs, they strategically chose the weaker WE team as their opponent. The series was smooth, with AL sweeping WE 3-0 to advance. In the first game, just three minutes in, a 2v2 jungle-mid clash erupted, where AL calmly secured a 2-for-0 exchange, establishing an early lead. Later, jungler Tarzan’s individual skill widened the gap, ending the game at only 26 minutes.

In the second game, Cube became the weak link early on; at three minutes, Saint Gun scored a lane kill, and by eight minutes, Cube had died three times. This game was even shorter, finishing in under 26 minutes. Similarly, in the third game, Cube was solo killed within three minutes. By ten minutes, AL was dominating across all lanes, increasing their economic advantage. Each game finished faster than the last, with the third lasting just 21 minutes. These three games were played at a very rapid pace, pushing AL into the top three fastest BO5 matches in LPL history, ranking second for shortest BO5 duration in the LPL region. This result was expected given the significant gap between the two teams.

The fastest BO5 in history was during the 2021 Spring Playoffs, where SN swept LNG 3-0 in 73 minutes and 26 seconds. This recent BO5 ranks second, lasting 74 minutes and 29 seconds, followed by the 2020 Summer Playoffs where LNG swept IG 3-0 in 74 minutes and 45 seconds. The most interesting moment came during the post-match interview when the host asked Shanks about facing his former team and his thoughts on Cube’s play. Shanks gave a very brief answer — one word: "trash," which sparked laughter. It’s clear the two share a close bond; otherwise, he wouldn’t speak so casually in an official interview. Only true good friends dare to talk like that.

Farewell thoughts

AL’s swift victory also highlighted the gap between strong teams. As the strongest team this season, they carry a heavy burden. The LPL region hasn’t won a world-class title for many years, and even reaching the World Championship finals has become out of reach. Although BLG’s roster is expensive, their strategies seem overly complicated, especially with top laner Bin, who even had a dramatic moment of leaving the team abruptly. It’s really hard to compare them to AL.

What do you all think about this situation?