The LPL second split playoffs are set to restart after a single day off. AL, having been blanked by WE, takes on LGD. This BO5 should have some intrigue. With the explosive turnarounds from the Nirvana Group on the Knight's Path and WE's two playoff surprises, the direction of this match is genuinely unpredictable. I feel AL and LGD are at least 60-40 in favor of AL. If they keep their composure, AL is likely to win.

However, WE's sweep of AL might give LGD some ideas. Tang Yuan, Heng, and the little foreigner have been in good form recently. If the bottom lane isn't broken, LGD still has a chance to win, but the likelihood is relatively low. AL is a very disciplined team; as long as they don't collapse as badly early as they did against WE, LGD will probably struggle in the mid-to-late game macro and team fights.

Bin fined 150,000 for not interacting

When BLG faced EDG in the losers' bracket, top laner Bin caused controversy after the match because he didn't high-five the audience during the entrance segment. The league officially made an example of Bin: the player was fined 150,000 yuan, the club was fined 50,000 yuan, and a public notice of criticism was issued. Some fans think Bin's issue isn't serious, but his behavior actually violated LPL tournament rules.

The red line Bin crossed was harming public interest. To put it bluntly, it affected the league's ticket sales. The on-court interaction benefit is explicitly listed in the ticket sale announcement as a rule. Many spectators buy floor tickets specifically for this. Bin's action effectively canceled that benefit, and if everyone did the same, tickets would be harder to sell. So the fine was justified.

Zhu Kai responds to being singled out for criticism

After LPL's Asian Games qualification was revoked, Shi Xiang, who worked on the Hangzhou Asian Games, publicly criticized former head coach Zhu Kai during a program. Shi Xiang stated bluntly: "Zhu Kai deserves to be singled out. He wasn't prepared to be a national team coach. He didn't grow himself, didn't help the players at all, was disobedient, caused trouble every day, and produced no results."

Zhu Kai recently responded to this during a livestream: "The league has already told me not to talk about this now." He said he's used to being the scapegoat and it's no big deal for him. "It's been three years. Everyone knows what it means to bring this up now." In other words, Zhu Kai feels he was used as a shield. Honestly, given the results that year, he's not blameless, but Abu's problems were even bigger than his.

MKOI mid-laner fined for trash talk

The European LEC playoffs are almost over, with just two more BO5 series remaining. After falling to the losers' bracket, KC won two straight matches to reach the losers' bracket final. If they beat MKOI next, they'll face G2 in the finals and head to the Mid-Season Invitational. Before the losers' bracket final, LEC media revealed that MKOI mid-laner Jojopyun was fined 2,000 euros by the league for trash talk.

During the regular season, Jojopyun was asked by the host to throw some shade. He immediately said, "I'm going to wreck them next game." Because of that statement, he was fined. He was asked to talk trash by the host, then fined for doing so. This guy is definitely the unluckiest mid-laner this year. The LEC officials are truly absurd—allowing trash talk but fining players for it. Are they that desperate for money?

Conclusion:

Bin's fine was honestly expected. With the league's current level of popularity, the fans who buy tickets to support matches are treasures of the LPL. Bin's disrespectful behavior toward fans, at best, shows poor character; at worst, it's sabotaging the league's livelihood and blocking opportunities for future players. So the punishment is absolutely reasonable and justified.

So, do you think fining players for trash talk is fair?

Feel free to leave a comment and discuss!