Introduction: The S16 season has officially kicked off, and the majority of players have been paying attention to the recent clashes. The LPL's opening day featured an exciting match between IG and WBG, revealing the differences among elite teams. True to their reputation as the strongest all-Chinese lineup assembled in the transfer window, they comfortably beat IG to claim their initial victory. After the game, the scene of jungler Jiejie laughing heartily was captured, seemingly a way to vent his frustration. There were also some minor issues before the match, like IG's AD player Xiaop forgetting to fist bump Elk. Meanwhile, Xiaohu gained a devoted female fan who performed his full gesture dance flawlessly.

Jiejie's laughter after defeating IG

Most players are quite familiar with the IG team. As a former top team in the LPL, they have undergone many roster changes in recent years. During this season's transfer period, IG lost their core top laner TheShy and brought in several new players, resulting in unstable performance and fluctuating results. Although they won the Demacia Cup, many fans remain skeptical. The official schedule placed the IG vs. WBG match as the opening game. Ultimately, WBG came back from behind to beat IG 2-1, with Elk's Kaisa achieving 19 kills, setting a new record for AD carry kills.

In the first game, IG had a strong early game, securing their advantage by 15 minutes thanks to Quasanti's perfect initiation, taking the first win. It was expected that their form would stabilize in the following games, but in the second game, their bot lane was completely overwhelmed. Elk's Kaisa scored 19 kills in that match, instantly killing even WEI's jungler Mundo. The third game was a total domination, ending almost like a clean sweep. Mid laner Xiaohu was very consistent, clearly surpassing Rookie's current form.

The most interesting moment was at the end of the match when the camera focused on the junglers. Jiejie's uninhibited laughter was recorded, showing he must have held a grudge for a long time. Last season, IG excluded him from the roster, which surely made him very upset. Though he participated later, he lacked good teammates and couldn't achieve good results. This time, with several players from WBG forming the strongest all-Chinese squad, they are determined to reclaim what was lost last season. It seems the event organizers also understood the showmanship, as the winning moment's camera panned to WBG's female fan. Though somewhat sturdy in build, she flawlessly performed Xiaohu's gesture dance, proving to be a loyal fan.

Compared to the intense first game, the second match was simpler. JDG's bot lane held a clear advantage, easily sweeping TES 2-0. AD carry Gala even secured the season's first pentakill on opening day, earning the title of pentakill king. He really reminds people of the old AD Uzi — given space to output, he can lead his team to victory in team fights. I'm looking forward to seeing if BLG can surprise us next. This year's Worlds really depends on these few teams.

Farewell thoughts

WBG's easy dismantling of IG caught me off guard, especially since IG just won the Demacia Cup and showed decent teamwork overall. Jiejie must have felt immense satisfaction, laughing so freely on camera — he must be really happy inside. It seems the Demacia Cup matches were more for entertainment, as neither WBG nor BLG displayed their true strength.

What do all of you viewers think about this situation?