In the League of Legends S16 season, the first split is about to start, and the four teams in the opening matches have revealed their starters. As predicted, Top Esports’ main player won’t compete early on. Despite having Xiaonaiyou and 369, with three players who aren’t first-string, it seems challenging for Top Esports to overcome JDG. Still, with the new patch fresh, teams are exploring new tactics, so top teams don’t necessarily have a sure victory.

Regarding IG, Rookie has officially returned. They won the Demacia Cup with a rookie player, so it’s uncertain if the full-strength IG will be even stronger. In the current meta, IG looks quite solid: their top lane is hard to break through, mid lane is stable, and as long as Wei supports the top and mid well, the two Korean imports could lead the team to victory. However, WBG is also strong, and if they achieve good synergy, their strength will be formidable.

LCK crab predictions for match results

The LCK Cup starts at the same time as our region’s league. The two opening matches are not very exciting. KT versus DNS is almost a guaranteed win for KT. For DK against BRO, it depends on whether BRO can replicate last year’s upset over GEN. Before the season began, the LCK held a fun event using crabs to predict match winners: placing team logos on either side of a tank, whichever side the crab climbs towards indicates the predicted winner.

The crab’s final prediction was that DNS would defeat KT, and BRO would cause an upset by beating DK. This prediction is completely opposite to what fans expect based on the teams’ strengths. DNS has been at the bottom of the LCK for years; although they’ve made some adjustments this year, beating the world runner-up KT seems unrealistic. But since this prediction method is just for fun, the result isn’t something to take too seriously.

LOL decade-long esports blogger retires

With over 400,000 followers, the well-known LOL esports content creator “Strongest League” has been widely watched. Whether it’s LPL or LCK matches, his edits are fast and high quality. Recently, Strongest League suddenly announced an indefinite hiatus. With this blogger gone, it’s hard to find a replacement soon. Viewers who don’t have time to watch full matches or only want to see highlights and team fights will feel a bit lost.

It’s said that Strongest League made 150 million yuan from stock trading, which is why he chose to retire and enjoy life. In his announcement, he also said: “I’m going to seek the truth of the world.” This suggests the news is true—he must have made a fortune and no longer cares about small earnings from video editing. This massive exit will impact LOL domestic esports fans significantly. Hopefully, someone will step up to fill his role.

EDG announces the return of Coach Changk and Maokai

One day before the first split starts, EDG suddenly announced that coaches Changk and Maokai are returning. Though Maokai’s reputation was average in recent years, Changk had good BP (ban/pick) performance last year with JDG. This new season, EDG also called back Leave. With other positions unchanged and two top-tier coaches added, EDG looks like a potential dark horse team in the LPL this year.

Although EDG has focused on its academy team in recent years, the club’s attitude toward former players is exceptional in the LPL. If players are unemployed and have nowhere to go, they can return to EDG. This personal touch is far ahead of other teams. This time, it’s unlikely the two coaches will leave again—they will probably stay with EDG long-term. Meiko is resting this year, but he might also return later.

Conclusion:

With FPX and RNG quitting the league, four major sponsors withdrawing, and the decade-long esports video creator retiring, it feels like the League of Legends scene is declining. It seems winning a championship this year is crucial; otherwise, the league’s popularity will continue to drop in the coming years. If this trend continues, the future looks uncertain.

So, who do you think will win the opening match between IG and WBG?

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