Introduction: The S16 season has officially started, and it's believed that the vast majority of players have been paying attention to the recent clashes. Matches in all major regions have been fiercely contested. The LPL's BLG squad has shown a steady improvement lately, after a 2-0 sweep over WBG, returning to the top tier of the leaderboard. In this confrontation, WBG's mid-laner Xiaohu became the center of online discussion. Just last week, he earned a spot in the best lineup, but this week he made a significant mistake, especially with Kassadin's drift in mid-lane where he stood still. In a post-match interview, he addressed this play, explaining that he had not set his skills to smart cast before the game, which caused the awkward moment.

Xiaohu did not configure his skill casting settings before the match

Most players recognize BLG and WBG as two top-tier teams before the matches, but judging by recent performances, their results have been somewhat inconsistent. Especially WBG, with its all-Chinese roster, currently sits in the mid-tier of the LPL, roughly at a playoff level, and at best might contend for a Worlds spot. The rivalry between these two teams is highly anticipated; however, instead of a close battle, BLG dominated with a 2-0 sweep, leaving WBG no chance for a comeback.

The most embarrassing moment in this match was Xiaohu’s mid-lane Kassadin drift. His idea was excellent — to use the Riftwalk ultimate to push the enemy support back, coordinating with the daybreak’s control for a kill. However, the outcome was awkward: he used the Q-E combo to approach Bard, then auto-attacked a minion and ended up standing still. The BLG players were probably confused too. That play should have guaranteed Bard’s displacement. Maybe because spring hasn't fully arrived, Xiaohu's form has been quite unstable recently.

In the post-match interview, Xiaohu openly addressed this play, clarifying why the awkward moment happened. He said the biggest regret was in the first game, when he wanted to use Kassadin’s ultimate to engage Bard mid-lane, but had not set the ultimate to smart cast, so it didn’t activate. That play significantly affected his farming, and he felt communication on their side was lacking. It turned out to be a settings issue. The flexible drift should be doable even by average gold-level players, so how could a multiple world champion make such a mistake? Watching the clip, the intention was to ult Bard back directly, but without smart cast, he just auto-attacked a minion.

After this match, mid-laner Xiaohu truly became the top player in the LPL, surpassing support player Meiko in historical appearances. He was once a top domestic talent, a double MSI world champion, and the only pro to have won trophies both mid and top lane. Back in his RNG days, he was full of vigor. It seems that after RNG declined, Xiaohu’s form and rhythm also faded. Very few pros can maintain Faker-like performance over so many years; an eleven-year career is already impressive.

Farewell thoughts

After seeing Xiaohu’s post-match explanation, the play is understandable — it was truly a pre-game settings mistake. In just a second, Bard had already moved out of Kassadin’s ultimate range, and the ult was mainly to prevent a chase. It feels like Xiaohu is reaching the twilight of his career; after this season, he may well leave the competitive scene. Then, it’s uncertain who will carry the LPL’s spotlight.

Dear viewers, what are your thoughts on this matter?