Riot has been keen on publishing team rankings in recent years, aiming to explain to "cloud viewers" in each region which LoL team boasts the best lineup on paper. After BLG, the LPL's consensus strongest team, was unexpectedly beaten by WE in the playoffs, their global ranking slipped from first to second. Now, LCK's GEN has overtaken BLG to be recognized by Riot as the world's number one team. Naturally, this list has sparked discussion and attention among many LoL viewers.

After all, GEN only ranked third in the regular season. Although their recent form has improved, many viewers believe T1 is more deserving of the top spot on the power rankings, given T1's superior international performance over GEN in recent years. Additionally, T1 secured second place in the regular season by tiebreaker advantage. In this ranking, aside from BLG making the top five, other LPL teams hover between 5th and 10th. For instance, TES sits in 6th place, while AL and JDG have fallen significantly to 8th and 9th due to recent losses. The biggest LPL regular-season dark horse, WE, has climbed to 20th.

BLG's drop in ranking is understandable, as they were heavily hyped before the match but lost to WE due to carelessness. Of course, BLG still has a chance to prove themselves in the future—if they can win five consecutive BO5 series in the playoffs, they could claim the LPL second split championship and even qualify for the Esports World Cup via that title. Do you think BLG can win five BO5s in a row? (Tomorrow, BLG faces EDG in a do-or-die match. Can BLG secure a victory?)

Former Asian Games Insider Criticizes Zhu Kai

After the LPL officially announced its decision to skip this year's LoL Asian Games, many LPL viewers speculated that the main reason for the withdrawal was the poor performance in the previous edition. If the LPL had won the gold medal, participation this year might have been more likely. Recently, Shi Xiang, the Chinese manager of ENC (the international esports club competition) and a former Asian Games staff member, discussed the reasons for the LoL team's failure at the last Asian Games in an interview program, revealing various inappropriate behaviors by coach Zhu Kai.

In the program, Shi Xiang disclosed that the LoL esports project first selected the coach, who then chose the players. The biggest problem in the previous Asian Games was Zhu Kai's lack of competence, and all six participating players suffered as a result. The initial choice of Zhu Kai was based on his ability to adjust players' mentality and his expected contribution to helping the team improve and synergize quickly. However, Zhu Kai's incompetence caused the players to develop and progress slowly. By the end of the training camp, the LoL Asian Games players had still not reached their optimal state.

Finally, Shi Xiang also talked about the upcoming ENC China club competition. He stated that this competition's player selection rules differ from those of the Asian Games, and the final selection plan will be based on suggestions from the clubs. According to insiders in the LoL community, AL, as an ENC partner, will likely provide the core players for ENC, while other LPL teams may participate as substitutes. (Which LPL team do you think has a chance to be selected for ENC?)