Smile’s “backstab” of Tabe causes controversy

Since Tabe joined JDG, many LPL fans have questioned why he left AL. During his streams, Tabe repeatedly called out to Shanks and AL players, expressing hope to work together next year to win the championship. Because of this, many speculated that AL could renew all their players during the transfer period, possibly influenced by Tabe’s “sincere” attitude. Of course, some fans understand Tabe, believing that as long as JDG offered enough money, “backstabbing” AL players would be acceptable.

However, something unexpected happened for many AL fans. Recently, AL manager Smile admitted in a live chat with Zhukai that AL’s salary offer to Tabe was unmatched in the LPL. Smile clearly stated that AL could match the salary JDG offered Tabe. The real reason for Tabe’s departure was his dissatisfaction with AL’s new season roster. Tabe wanted to replace certain players, but his opinion was not accepted, leading to disputes between him and Smile, which ultimately caused Tabe to leave AL.

After Smile’s revelation, many viewers speculated about which player Tabe disliked. Many guessed that Tabe was unhappy with AD carry Hope, since AL’s biggest weakness against T1 was Hope’s poor performance. If Hope had been slightly stronger, AL might have had a chance to win the championship this year. Some also pointed out that Hope is considered AL’s “prince,” as top laner Saint Qiangge and mid laner Shanks were brought in by Hope. Moreover, AL manager Smile is close friends with Hope, who joined AL alongside Smile when the team was at the bottom of the league, so Smile is unlikely to give up on Hope.

The LPL transfer window reaches its final conclusion

Besides revealing the truth about Tabe’s departure during the stream, Smile and Zhukai also discussed the final outcomes of the LPL transfers. According to Zhukai’s reports, most top LPL teams have completed their rosters. BLG spent the most money this transfer period, renewing top laner BIN, mid laner Left Hand, and support ON, while also paying a large sum to re-sign jungler XUN. In contrast, star player Viper’s salary at BLG is relatively low, far less than Left Hand and BIN’s, because Viper joined BLG aiming to partner with Left Hand to win the championship.

TES’s roster for this season has also been announced: top laner 369, jungler Yoghurt, mid laner Little Yoghurt, bot lane Jiaqi and JKL, and rookie support Fengyue. Zhukai revealed that TES’s roster still has room for improvement, but due to insufficient points, TES cannot directly buy players during the transfer period and must wait until after the first stage to trade with other teams. (There is a loophole in the LPL transfer system: if players renew early, teams can privately trade without needing transfer points.)

Finally, Zhukai disclosed the rosters for JDG and IG. He stated that TheShy has confirmed he will rest next year. IG’s lineup includes top laner Huxi Ge, jungler WEI or possibly Xiaotian (swapping junglers with WBG), mid laner ROOKIE, bot lane ELK, and an uncertain support. JDG’s new season roster is less clear; during the transfer period, JDG acquired mid laner Hong Q from CFO team and jungler Junjia, as well as domestic AD carry GALA and EDG support V God.

Conclusion

Next year’s LPL competition will really miss many star players. Support Meiko and Liu Qingsong, mid laner DOINB, and TheShy have all officially announced they will not compete. It feels like this year’s LPL format reform was a failure. Looking at the current situation, it seems the LPL officials want the top team to build a super team while forcing other teams to develop new talent. Do you think BLG can help LPL win the World Championship next year?