Introduction: The S15 season has officially started, and most players have been paying close attention to the recent World Championship battles. While many anticipated the LPL region to make a strong comeback this season, it turned out to be their last stand, with highly unstable performance levels. Two LCK teams met once more in the finals. TES’s head coach Hongmi revealed a solution in an interview, even stating that if his idea is implemented, the LPL region definitely has the capability to defeat T1 or other LCK teams and claim the World Championship title in S16. In fact, his thoughts likely resonate with many LPL fans.

Homme points out the key for LPL to win the championship.

Most players are quite familiar with head coach Hongmi, who has gained significant popularity and respect over the years. As one of the top Korean coaches, he has led teams to numerous honors and is well-known in the LPL region. Moreover, he holds the record for coaching the most teams to qualify for the World Championship. After joining TES, many believed the team was gradually improving, but when facing LCK teams, they consistently encountered issues, resulting in a losing streak of over ten matches on the professional stage. At Worlds, they were mercilessly crushed by LCK teams, suffering a 0-7 record, including 0-2 losses to Gen and KT, and a 0-3 defeat to T1.

With the season concluded, Coach Hongmi’s next move has become a hot topic among players. If nothing unexpected happens, he is likely to return to the LCK region. In an interview, he also left some final advice for the LPL region, stating that if his ideas are followed, LPL teams can overcome T1 and other LCK squads to win the ultimate World Championship trophy. Honestly, I believe many players share similar views; the problems within the current LPL region are indeed severe.

Frequent travel and insufficient training have long been issues in the LPL region. The league has established numerous home venues primarily for better revenue, and the LPL’s vast geographic area makes travel slower compared to the LCK. The main problem is the large number of teams within the region, which disperses top-tier talent across different squads. If elite players could be consolidated more effectively, greater potential might be unlocked. Hongmi’s idea is to form a more advanced “galactic fleet” of top teams, minimizing weaknesses. Indeed, if AL had a strong AD carry like Gala this year, their results would likely be very different.

According to leaked scrim reports, AL has been working extremely hard, even playing a BO5 against Gen the day before the match and undergoing intense practice with LPL’s training teams. Their professional attitude is unquestionable; it just came down to a slight misstep. Recently, there have been many roster changes in the LPL, and considering the current pool of players, some top professionals might choose to take a break. For example, AD carry AShui openly said he doesn’t even know who his teammates are and might quit if things don’t improve.

Farewell thoughts

Coach Hongmi’s critique hits the mark: the internal skill gap in the LPL region is too wide. Top-ranked teams might be among the world’s best, while those at the bottom could be last place. Since the removal of promotion and relegation, the LPL’s results have steadily declined. The league keeps increasing the number of teams and home venues for profit, but to claim the S16 championship, it really feels like the LPL must make the adjustments Hongmi suggests.

What do you all think about this situation?