Introduction: The S15 season matches have officially started, and most players have been closely following the recent confrontations. The World Championship games have been extremely intense. After the match between Gen and KT teams, global players were completely ignited. Nobody expected that Gen, who performed excellently all year, would fall at the semifinal stage of the World Championship. Especially their mid-laner Chovy seemed as if he was seriously ill. After the match, Ruler was completely stunned, refusing to take a bow and walking off directly. Korean online communities once again posted black-and-white photos. With that, Riot’s official S15 predictions have ended, and all global predictors were completely wiped out, with no one guessing correctly.

Ruler refuses to acknowledge and walks away

Most players are probably familiar with Gen, a veteran powerhouse from the LCK region. This season, their overall performance was outstanding. They dominated the LCK matches since the second stage, even breaking the historic winning streak held by T1. In the playoffs, they pulled off a stunning upset, disrupting the entire World Championship schedule. Judging from their previous form, Gen’s overall strength was unquestionable, definitely among the top tier this World Championship. Before the semifinals against KT, many predicted Gen would easily advance to the finals.

Who would have thought that KT would sweep the series 3-1? Especially in the last two games, they gave Gen no chance at all. Their mid-laner Bdd seemed to have returned to his peak form. His performance on Kassadin was incredibly dominant; against Chovy’s Orianna, he not only gained lane advantage but also secured solo kills. It felt like Chovy was seriously off his game in this semifinal, showing almost no effective plays. Besides the top-laner Kiin, the rest of Gen’s players appeared to have serious issues. In the fourth game, the players seemed too tense and completely lost their winning rhythm.

After the match, Gen’s team appeared utterly stunned. Their AD carry Ruler refused to take a curtain call and left immediately, heading straight to the locker room. The teammates exchanged glances, wondering if they should have bowed first. Many Korean netizens were devastated, as Chovy’s World Championship performance was really disappointing, joking that while Mount Everest is 8848.43 meters, Chovy’s score is 8848.44. Unsurprisingly, black-and-white photos of Gen surfaced online, a typical Korean fan reaction. Honestly, if KT or the LCK region hadn’t won the championship, KT might have been heavily mocked as well.

Following this shocking upset, Riot’s official S15 predictions came to an end. All global participants were wiped out, with no one expecting Gen to fall at this stage. This might be the charm of esports—regardless of the skill gap or player form, unexpected moments always happen. Just like back in the day when RNG faced G2, no one anticipated that after a full five-game series, G2’s Perkz would shatter all expectations with his LeBlanc.

Farewell thoughts

Gen’s defeat has indeed disappointed all their fans. Throughout the year, their form was very consistent. Whether at MSI or the Oil Cup, they played comfortably, including a crushing victory against HLE. It seems Chovy’s performance was seriously affected. If not for his series of reckless plays, Gen might have had an easier time. Perhaps he has some mental block, or maybe it’s related to the pre-match snack of Xiao Yang Shengjian buns shared with Gen’s support player. Someone please bring some to T1!

What do all of you viewers think about this situation?