Foreword:

Recently, an extraordinary event with high attention occurred in the LPL esports circle – numerous peak-level teams suffered surprising defeats during the Knight's Path, leading to intense discussions among LPL fans and frequently trending topics.

After many Phoenix-tier teams successfully pulled off upsets on the Knight's Path, numerous viewers began questioning the strength of the Summit-tier teams. Some even anticipated a "youth storm" from the Phoenix-tier teams in the playoffs, hoping they would topple the top four Summit-tier teams. However, after the first day of LPL playoffs, those fantasies were shattered. TT (second place in Phoenix tier) and LGD (fourth place) were completely dominated by JDG and TES, with no chance to retaliate.

Particularly, the BO5 between TES and LGD was criticized by many as boring, as TES completely outclassed LGD in both laning and macro play. For instance, in the first game, TES's superior vision control rendered LGD's jungler Heng's Nocturne useless, unable to cast a single game-changing ultimate. Additionally, LGD's laning was embarrassing – often within the first 10 minutes, all three lanes had already collapsed.

Because LGD was so weak, their entire team became mere "background props" for TES players. TES top laner Zuian performed exceptionally well in this BO5, consecutively using champions like Yasuo and Olaf to prove his champion pool is solid. In the final game, his Olaf showcased incredible footwork, dodging multiple enemy abilities in a row. At one point, Olaf had only 33 HP left – any hit would have killed him – yet he weaved through all of Ziggs and Jayce's skills. Many viewers joked that if the Olaf's in-game name were different, this dodge sequence would be a world-class highlight.

Aside from Zuian's standout performance, other TES players also shined. For example, TES bot laner JKL demonstrated dominant laning pressure, forcing LGD's AD carry (nicknamed "少爷") to be unable to farm properly in games 1 and 3. Thanks to this massive bot-lane advantage, TES support Fengyue could roam freely to assist other lanes, while jungler Tian treated Heng's jungle camps as his own backyard.

After witnessing LGD's poor performance, many viewers wondered how such a weak team could even qualify for the LPL playoffs, and why WBG could not even beat a team of this level. WBG's well-known streamer CrystalBoy analyzed the reason for WBG's loss during his live broadcast. He claimed that WBG was screwed by the LPL's official format: WBG should not have played an online match against LGD. If it had been an offline match, WBG would definitely not have been eliminated, because some teams excel in online games but are weak offline.

Conclusion

After TES crushed LGD, WBG became the laughingstock of the entire LPL. Of course, I think it is reasonable for WBG to be mocked, as their team valuation could buy several LGD rosters. Personally, I believe the online-match excuse is invalid, since WBG had recently beaten BLG in an online match and went to a full BO5 with JDG. (Insiders reported that WBG will fire two people next season and significantly cut salaries for certain players. Who do you think will be let go?)