Introduction: The S15 season is over, and most players have been paying attention to the recent off-season. After the transfer window closed, all major teams rebuilt their rosters. In recent days, former elite player Mlxg has sparked widespread debate across the community. After many years as a pro, he ended up in debt of tens of millions, and recently expressed dissatisfaction with the LPL during a livestream, openly looking down on all-Chinese rosters and even stating that without Korean players, the LPL wouldn’t be what it is today. Meanwhile, after the LPL implemented WASD key controls, many players tried it out and reported that orb-walking has become much smoother.

Mlxg looks down on the all-Chinese LPL roster.

Most players are probably quite familiar with LPL jungler Malaxiangguo. As one of the original top pros, Malaxiangguo was very popular years ago, especially during the S8 season when RNG was at its peak. He served as a rotating jungler, often brought in at critical moments. His final match was against G2, where he gave his all but couldn’t help the team reach the semifinals. After elimination, Malaxiangguo was arguably the most talked-about player in the entire LPL region.

After retiring that year, his fanbase grew rapidly, his livestream stats soared, and his income multiplied several times. However, he made some controversial remarks and became overly arrogant, ultimately squandering a strong position and fading into the sidelines. Coupled with a series of poor financial decisions, he lost all the money he earned. Recently, discussions about him have increased, and he joked that he’s been playing professionally since he was around 15 or 16 for over a decade, yet now he’s deeply in debt due to contract issues. Apparently, he owes RNG over 20 million yuan, and this debt is already legally binding with little chance of reversal.

During a recent livestream, he openly criticized the LPL region, bluntly stating that the LPL rose to prominence because of Korean imports, and without them, the LPL could never win championships. He dismissed the achievements of all-Chinese rosters, expressing clear dissatisfaction with the LPL scene—perhaps reflecting his personal struggles. That said, his points aren’t entirely unfounded. Every time the LPL won the World Championship, there were always two Korean players on the team, and key mid-lane roles were held by Koreans such as Rookie from IG, Doinb from FPX, and Scout from EDG. Currently, hopes for domestic talent rest on Knight, but he tends to underperform in major tournaments, struggling once the World Championship begins.

With the update to the Chinese server, the WASD control scheme was introduced. After numerous players tried it out, the new key setup has been well received, with some new players even saying their orb-walking skills have improved. Of course, for veteran players, mouse movement remains more comfortable, as habits formed over more than a decade aren’t easily changed. The developers are also preparing another update for this movement mode, allowing players to use the mouse to scout vision: pressing the middle scroll wheel will enter free camera mode, and releasing it will immediately lock back onto the champion’s view.

Farewell thoughts

The current LPL region truly faces a critical moment of survival. What Malaxiangguo said isn’t entirely wrong—indeed, the LPL began rising after acquiring Korean imports. However, it’s also undeniable that the LPL made significant contributions in S3 and S4 seasons; teams like OMG performed well, and Uzi was a World Championship runner-up. The esports industry in the LPL started relatively late and has since become increasingly chaotic, leaving many wondering how it can ever reach the pinnacle of the world again.

What do you, the viewers, think about this situation?