I will never forget IG's victory night last year.
After seven years, can the glory of S8 continue?
In ancient S2, five old WE people, Ruofeng, Smile, Strawberry, Curly, and the factory director, were hungry and cold for seven hours on the stage because of the on-site network failure, leaving behind the ancient legend of "unplugging the network cable" in the S-race, and even the later WE IPL5 champion could not make up for this non-strength gap.
S3, two LPL Royals "collided" with OMG quarter-finals. The royal family who entered the final finally met SKT at that time and reluctantly brought back the runner-up LPL.
S3' s script was ruthlessly staged again in S4. EDG, OMG and Royalty stood out from the group hand in hand, but they had two "civil wars" in the final of 1/4 and the final of 1/4. In the final, facing SSW, the most dominant champion team in history, the royal family was defeated almost bloodless and once again became the background board for LCK to climb to the top. It is worth mentioning that SSW is even a little skeptical about putting water on the champion's skin (S4 must be a hero in the final to get the champion's skin, so SSW's single player Looper did not hesitate to choose the "hero of the core monument of life" alchemist).
S5, which was joined by many Korean aid, was called "the most promising year for LPL", but the summer champion LGD, which was highly anticipated by the whole league, mysteriously stopped at the group stage, and the reverse arrow of Wei Shen Wei Rusi was even made into GIF, which became the eternal talk and joke. The factory director and EDG led by DEFT also lost to FNC in the quarter-finals, and they still haven't got rid of the bad luck of the quarter-finals.
LPL, who witnessed LCK 3' s consecutive championships, finally realized the dominance of the Korean team, but this awareness did not change anything at all. With EDG and RNG prostrating themselves at the feet of SKT and ROX, LPL seems to have entered a long night.
S7' s Bird's Nest is the pain of countless China loler. The incense burner version has been regarded as the strong version of the LPL team for a long time, and RNG and we have also entered the semi-finals, but in front of the last two mountains SKT and SSG, everything seems pale and powerless. What the Bird's Nest audience finally waited for was not the meeting of the LPL team, but a championship trophy destined to fall into the bag of the Korean team.
Ten years of cold ice, blood is hard to cool. S8, we waited for 7 years and finally witnessed the birth of the first LPL team champion. LPL did not act as a stepping stone on the road of LCK winning the championship again. JackeyLove gambled on the flash of his career, and the scene where the famous Shy God descended to 1V4 was destined to become an indelible mark in the history of LOL.
What about S9?
We know that this is another difficult year for LPL: every position of MSI new champion G2 is the strongest configuration in Europe, which is favored by everyone; SKT, led by Li Ge, won a series of three consecutive championships in the LCK summer playoffs, which was very aggressive. With the global team's awareness of LOL increasing, the level gap between different competition areas is also narrowing, and it is inevitable that LPL will win the championship again.
We also know that this year is a crucial year for LPL: only by leaving the championship trophy in China can players and e-sports industry be more energetic to welcome S10-held in China-which is as significant as S8 winning the championship for the first time.
FPX: Can Nirvana be a word prophecy?
Some people say that the theme song Nirvana of S9 is tailor-made for FPX, because Nirvana itself is synonymous with phoenix, rebirth and hope.
But in fact, for the young FPX team, "new king" and "enthronement" may be their key words. In the just-concluded LPL Summer Tournament, FPX won the first LPL championship in the team's history, ending the unchanging situation that EDG and RNG dominated the world, while RNG and IG competed for hegemony.
Some people say that this version of S-match is the most suitable version for FPX. DOINB can make full use of its unique hero pool advantage in this version, and FPX's 4-pack 2 tactics can establish enough advantages in the early stage of the game.
Some people also say that FPX is a combination of good weather, good geographical position and good people. Group B where FPX belongs is the weakest group. On the road to winning the championship, the only thing they need to overcome is youth.
And I want to say that youth is their greatest capital. With the spirit that newborn calves are not afraid of tigers, dare to fight and dare to fight, and leave no way out, it is possible to go forward bravely in the S race.
RNG: The Wrath of the Vengeance God
For RNG, the past S8 is undoubtedly the most unforgettable season. From LPL Spring Champion, MSI Champion to Summer Champion, RNG triumphed all the way to the S8 Finals. When everyone regarded them as the hottest, RNG unexpectedly fell off the horse in the most unfavorable situation and experienced the darkest moment of the team.
Now, RNG has stood on the stage that made them feel sad last year. Although we bid farewell to two meritorious members, LETME and MLXG, UZI, the team's most dependent ace, is still ambitious. Calca and Ming are the top wild auxiliary players in the world, and no one can doubt their determination to win the championship again.
However, looking at the qualifying prospects of the three LPL teams, Group C where RNG is located may be the most competitive. This group brings together teams from four major departments: LCK, LPL, LEC and LCS. Whether SKT, led by FAKER, vowed to win the fourth championship in team history, FNC, the last runner-up, or even CG, which tied with Huni and Sun Ge for the third seed in North America, its strength should not be underestimated.
RNG must go through a thorny road to get rid of the shame brought by the sudden cold last year, and before climbing that mountain, all they have to do is calmly vent their accumulated anger to the world over the past year.
IG: "I've been looking forward to your coming back for a long time" (rookie accent)
I think every loler has mixed feelings about the IG team. At the most critical moment of LPL, they reached their peak in S8. 20 19MSI when everyone booked the championship for IG, they were also the ones who threw cold water on everyone.
They can take it for granted that they will win the championship in the spring finals as easy as blowing off dust; It may also be that the defending champion of LPL was swept 3-0 in the first round of the summer playoffs and was vulnerable. When everyone began to be disappointed, the "unpredictable" IG was able to play two rounds of bo5 in a row, and played 10 bubble game to kill S9 again.
He is like a moody child, who brings us great joy and comfort with his victory and smile, but at the same time, he repeatedly uses his "leg dragging" to make us anxious and at a loss.
Even so, some people are willing to wait and believe that this "magic team" can create miracles again. Even if the hope is slim, there are still some loyal fans who earnestly hope that IG can win the championship successfully and reproduce SKT's brilliant achievements.
Of course, before "nonsense", IG's first task is to break through from Group D, and this group of IGs will face TL, the top seed in North America who shot them down from the throne on MSI, and DWG, a former coach of IG who is familiar with IG tactics.
Tell me out loud, who do you support this year? !
In the eyes of many people, youth associated with games and e-sports is stupid and cheap.
Indeed, in LOL, a national game, many people never hide their feelings and hide the emotions tied to them.
However, some people shout loudly: If youth can stand with what you love, then your blood will boil and you will have no regrets.
So youth will never end with the withdrawal of a team or a player. Because it has nothing to do with success or failure, and it has nothing to do with the result, as long as you have cared.
A picture helps you understand S9.