Preface: The S16 season has officially begun. I believe most players have been following the recent matches. The LPL competitions have been quite intense. IG's first appearance directly caused an explosive reaction from fans across the internet, with the live audience packed like a sea of people, making it the hottest match in the LPL this year. An ordinary Rebirth Group match was actually sold out. Top laner Theshy delivered top-tier plays, and in the post-match interview, he dropped many memorable quotes, joking: "I never thought I would become a Rebirth top laner."

Theshy drops many memorable quotes in interview.

I believe most players are quite familiar with top laner Theshy. As a top-tier professional player in the LPL, his overall popularity and heat have remained very stable over the past two years. During the winter transfer period last season, he chose to take a break, which disappointed many fans—after all, for a player of his age, this break might have been permanent. However, IG's performance in the first and second splits was terribly poor. To preserve viewership, the organization had long discussions with Theshy, and eventually, he announced his return for the third split, making many fans very happy.

In these three matches, his overall performance gradually returned to peak form.

In the first game, around two minutes in, Meiko's Camille flashed to avoid a taunt and counterattacked, taking first blood on Shen. At five minutes, Camille roamed mid again, but Rookie went into the tower and was petrified by Cassiopeia, leading to a counter-kill. At the crucial 22-minute mark, Jax's flank in the teamfight shattered IG's formation, causing them to lose the Baron. Finally, at 32 minutes, WB secured the first win.

In the second game, Theshy's Olaf started to shine. At five minutes, WB sent three players to gank top, but Olaf decisively used both summoners to escape. Meanwhile, IG's bot lane changed the pace and secured first blood on Elk. At 16 minutes, Ryze and Olaf perfectly coordinated, flashing into the fight to kill two. By 25 minutes, IG had built a significant advantage and took the Baron. In the final teamfight at 28 minutes, Theshy's Olaf, like a god of twilight, carved through the enemy for a triple kill, ending the game.

In the third game, IG played more comfortably. Both sides started in a trading phase, and the economic gap didn't widen. However, as Theshy's Yorick split-pushed and pulled the enemy, IG's rhythm became increasingly advantageous. WB kept trading kills, while Yorick quickly pushed towers. At the 21-minute teamfight, IG perfectly ace'd WB, securing both Baron and Dragon, tipping the scales instantly. Finally, at 24 minutes, they completed the comeback, defeating WB and winning the first match of the third split.

In the post-match interview, Theshy again dropped many memorable quotes.

I didn't expect to be a Rebirth Group top laner. I had no pressure today. I didn't think my laning would be that good. Olaf is something I started practicing recently, and I'll keep practicing. I hope I become the Olaf that opponents fear. I hope the team gets a bit lucky and can make it to Worlds.

It's surprising that Theshy, who used to be shy in interviews, is now so relaxed. Looking at these three games, IG's rhythm is steadily recovering. Currently, Meiko still needs some adjustments. As a veteran among traditional supports, his champion pool indeed doesn't fit the current meta well.

Zaijian's opinion:

An ordinary Rebirth Group match filled the entire venue, and the atmosphere especially felt like a return to the peak days of the LPL. This might be Theshy's personal charisma. In the LPL, only he and Uzi have such drawing power. I hope IG can play more consistently this split, so that the LPL can maintain its heat and attention.

What do you, the audience, think about this?