Foreword: The S16 season matches have officially begun, and it is believed that the vast majority of players have been following the recent competitions. The LPL playoffs have been quite intense. From the current situation, BLG, AL, and JDG are most likely to contend for the championship, while WBG has virtually no hope left, especially after being swept 3-0, which must have severely damaged their confidence. This match also produced many iconic moments, such as mid-laner Xiaohu's "Tiger Steps on Flying Arrow," and many netizens questioned whether a bug occurred with Ryze's ultimate in the first game, as ELK inside the circle was not teleported. In fact, this is an in-game bug: if a player at the edge moves outward during the teleport, they are judged as leaving. This has been known for a long time, and all players are aware of it.

ELK Triggers Ryze Ultimate Bug

It is believed most players are quite familiar with BLG. As a veteran powerhouse in the LPL, they have invested heavily in recent years, acquiring many top-tier players each transfer season. Despite some issues in the first split, they swept both opponents 3-0 in the knockout stage, advancing to the winners' bracket final. They are just one step away from the global pioneer tournament, needing only one more BO5 victory to secure a spot. Their match against WBG truly highlighted the gap between the two teams, resembling a casual bot match.

The first game was relatively even initially. Just three minutes in, WBG executed a three-man gank bot, killing ON, while Elk flashed to dodge Varus's fatal shot. For the first ten minutes, BLG's bot lane was essentially camped. However, the situation reversed dramatically at the 23-minute mark: BLG secured the dragon, took Baron, and won a team fight 4-0. Ultimately, Bin's teleport backdoor decision secured a narrow victory. In the final team fight, WBG made a critical mistake; had ELK entered the teleport circle, the outcome might have changed.

In the final team fight before the high ground, Kennen's flash-ultimate was excellent. Ryze activated his ultimate to chase the low-health Bin, but ELK inside the circle did not get teleported. Had the AD gone through, the Yorick could not have escaped. This not only cost them the dragon soul but potentially the first game. Many questioned if it was an ultimate bug, but this is actually a long-standing issue. During Ryze's ultimate, moving outward is interpreted as opting out. The official fix will come next patch; it hasn't been updated yet due to the Spring Festival holiday. All this was communicated pre-match, so ELK simply has to accept the consequences.

The second game featured another classic moment: Xiaohu reenacted Clearlove's "Horse Steps on Flying Arrow" with his own "Tiger Steps on Flying Arrow." When Ashe fired a long-range ultimate, Xiaohu's Lulu used a Hextech Protobelt-01 dash and ran right into it, followed by Knight's LeBlanc emerging from the bush to instantly delete Lulu. After this match, probably no one will underestimate BLG anymore. Both playoff matches were 3-0 sweeps, and this is their eighth time reaching the winners' bracket final, having won five of the previous seven.

Farewell Thoughts

Players who regularly follow matches should be quite familiar with this Ryze ultimate bug: clicking outward at the edge of the circle is judged as leaving. This is documented in the tournament handbook, stating that players bear the responsibility if triggered. The issue will be fixed in version 26.4. Therefore, there's not much to discuss—it was ELK's individual mistake. A rematch will not be granted for a known, disclosed bug.

What are your thoughts on this, everyone?