Introduction: The S16 season has officially begun, and the majority of players have been paying close attention to the recent confrontations. Matches in all major regions have been fiercely contested. After enduring consecutive defeats, BLG managed to overcome IG and return to form. The bottom lane AD, Viper, delivered outstanding performances, pulling off remarkable 1v2 and 1v3 feats within about ten minutes. This season also witnessed the first time rewind incident, where jungler Wei couldn’t pick up the red buff. Indeed, the official game still suffers from many bugs. Meanwhile, jungler Peanut’s ban became a hot topic, with his 0-14 scoreline shocking the entire LCK scene.

The first time rewind in LPL Season 16

Most players remain highly interested in the BLG team. As one of LPL’s top-tier “Galactic Fleet,” their recent performance has been somewhat unstable — after four wins in a row, they suffered three consecutive losses. Rumors even circulated about their top laner Bin possibly leaving the team with a small bag. Fortunately, after multiple negotiations, the starting lineup remained unchanged. The match against IG was a morale booster, with BLG sweeping IG 2-0, ending their losing streak and climbing back into the top two rankings. This match also featured LPL’s first time rewind of the season, but unfortunately, the issue wasn’t resolved after the rewind.

In the first game, before the 20-minute mark, Wei repeatedly failed to pick up the red buff in the jungle. After a lengthy pause, the referees ruled it was a bug, and the match was rewound from 19:54 to 19:36. It was expected to fix the problem, but even after the rewind, Wei still couldn’t pick up the red buff, and the player couldn’t even see the Dragon’s health bar. Clearly, the official team is rather amateurish, and game maintenance has been declining. Luckily, this bug didn’t affect the match outcome, as IG had already collapsed early on.

The second game turned into a personal showcase for BLG. AD carry Viper finally displayed confidence, pulling off unbelievable 1v2 and 1v3 plays in just over ten minutes. Such feats are almost unimaginable, possibly because IG’s bottom lane was particularly weak, especially Photic, who has arguably been the worst-performing AD recently. IG’s chances for a comeback were slim, and this season they only reached LPL playoff level. Without their core top laner and AD, they have no real competitive edge. Previously, Wei was even heard begging in voice chat, fearing relegation to the lower group.

The LPL matches are intense, but LCK recently shared a story that made all players laugh and cry. Retired jungler Peanut’s Korean server account was banned by LCK officials. Upon logging in, he was baffled to find out the ban was due to a normal ranked game played at night, where he used jungle Vi and ended with a 0-14-0 scoreline. Honestly, that performance was quite absurd — no assists at all, and it happened in a high-ranked Korean server game with over 1000 points. The 14-day ban by the officials was justified. Peanut wrote a heartfelt appeal, lamenting that he’s been playing for over 14 years without ever being banned for toxic behavior and insisted he did not intentionally throw the game.

Farewell thoughts

Currently, game maintenance in the LPL region is indeed lacking. Even red buff pickups can malfunction, which is not a champion mechanic but a sudden map bug. No wonder esports can’t fully align with traditional sports — if the most basic backend maintenance can’t be done well, how can fairness and justice be ensured in competitions? If both teams were evenly matched, would this game be replayed? The inability to see the Dragon’s health bar and pick up the red buff definitely impacts the match’s flow.

What do all of you viewers think about this situation?