The LPL playoff second round is about to kick off. A Korean media piece titled "Tarzan's Six Years in the LPL: Now It's My Turn to Pay Back" has been released. In it, Tarzan said he was unhappy with his level in the last week and will give everything to reach Worlds. He also expressed disbelief that he has been in the LPL for six years already.

As one of the most conscientious Korean imports in the LPL, Tarzan's reputation has indeed improved in recent seasons. When he was with LNG, he was constantly criticized for "playing for the country's glory" after their Worlds failure. However, in the past two years, he has shattered doubts with his performance. When AL was about to kick out Flandre, he even stepped in to vouch for him. Despite the team not achieving breakthroughs, he chose not to leave, making him a benchmark among Korean imports.

IG reportedly strong in scrims

IG and NIP, who emerged from the Knight's Path, will start their matches on the 5th. This BO5 is their first playoff game, but it could also be their last. NIP faces a tough challenge against JDG, while IG's match against TOP is equally difficult. JDG and TOP have guaranteed 80 and 105 points for Worlds, so even if they lose, they still have a chance in the Regional Finals. However, if NIP or IG lose, they will be directly eliminated from the World Championship.

So both teams need to be in their best form to win. IG has been looking decent lately. Leaker Rark was recently asked by fans: "Are IG's scrims really strong?" His answer was: "Compared to TOP, I think IG is pretty good." This implies IG's scrim results are better than TOP's, but scrims don't really mean much, right? After all, Zz1tai can one-shot anyone.

Bin's controversial move again

BLG top laner Flandre recently celebrated his 28th birthday, and the team held a celebration with a video released. During the part where teammates sang happy birthday to Flandre, Bin's behavior sparked widespread dissatisfaction among fans, even trending on Tieba. While everyone else was clapping and singing, Bin remained seated, only clapping without singing, leaving Viper beside him confused.

After being reminded by Xun, Bin stood up and drank some water to ease the awkwardness. Ironically, this video was released, and Bin was criticized by many fans for being rude. To be honest, Bin's behavior was indeed inappropriate, but he didn't mean any harm; he simply didn't understand these things. When Xun reminded him, he stood up immediately. It's just that his emotional intelligence is not that high.

Guan Zeyuan vents about the "48 incident"

Last week, Guan Zeyuan sparked public outrage by using the "48" meme in a video. Although he apologized and explained immediately, many insiders revealed that the authorities would still severely punish him. Recently, basketball commentator Yang Yi revealed during a live stream that Guan Zeyuan privately complained to him about the "48 incident." At the time, a sponsor was discussing a business deal with him; the game was based on a 50-point system, so Guan started shooting (trash can) from 48.

It turned out that Guan Zeyuan forgot that Bin has the "48" meme, resulting in a counterproductive incident. Using someone else's words to state the facts doesn't seem to clear him, because the video had too many elements. First, the word "Bin" means trash can in English, and second, the "48" meme. Two coincidences came together. Even if it was unintentional, it's impossible to clear his name. He has to bear the consequences.

Conclusion:

It's really tough for IG to make it to Worlds. After LGD secured 45 points, IG needs to win two consecutive BO5s to earn a spot in the Regional Finals. Facing TOP is already a hard battle, and then they'll have to face the loser of BLG vs WE, which makes it even harder. Realistically speaking, IG's chances of making Worlds this year are slim.

So, do you think Guan Zeyuan's meme usage was a coincidence?

Feel free to leave a comment and discuss!