Introduction: The S15 season has officially commenced, and it seems that most players have been engaged with the recent competitions. The third segment across different leagues is progressing, with the LCK region likely receiving the highest focus. Acknowledged as the strongest region globally, they have consistently clinched world championships, and recently dominated in both the Oil Cup and MSI events. The Gen team has become a focal point for players worldwide. However, to be honest, the LCK hasn’t provided them much leeway; just two days after winning the Oil Cup, they had to jump straight into the LCK internal round-robin matches against the formidable HLE team. It feels like they haven’t even adjusted to the time difference before the new round of competition kicks off again.

GEN is facing matches almost without rest.

Most players are likely quite familiar with the LCK region. As a top-tier league globally, the overall development of the LCK has been rapid in recent years, especially after becoming a league system. Player salaries have continually risen, and many top professional players have returned to compete in the LCK, leading to steady improvements in performance and solidifying their position as the world’s best. In the recent MSI and Oil Cup tournaments, the LCK also achieved back-to-back championships, with Gen defeating T1 and AL in the finals to claim the ultimate title. Surprisingly, just as they were celebrating their victory, they had to immediately commence the LCK’s third segment of competition.

According to the schedule released by the LCK, the third segment of matches is set to take place on the 23rd, with the first day featuring a matchup between Gen and HLE. Both teams returned on the same flight to the LCK region, having only one day of rest before diving straight into high-intensity round-robin matches. Many fans find this hard to understand. However, once the groupings were revealed, it became clear that this was a necessary decision by the officials, as it was impossible to stagger all these teams; they had no choice but to ramp up the competition. This is something that deserves praise for the LPL region, which ensures that teams participating in matches have adequate rest time, rather than immediately jumping into a new round of competition.

The winner's bracket in the LCK includes Gen, HLE, T1, KT, and NS teams. Each day, one matchup from the winners' bracket and one from the losers' bracket is scheduled. To ensure an exciting opening match, a strong team must be involved in the winners' bracket, meaning that Gen and HLE will have to put in extra effort to adjust. They need to adapt to the new match version and overcome the time difference, which exceeds six hours, even though they are all in Asia. In contrast, T1 has a slightly easier path, with their first match scheduled for the 25th.

Many fans might joke that the LCK is targeting Gen to end their 20-plus match winning streak. However, the truth is that last year, T1 also faced a similar tough challenge. They returned to the LCK in the morning, had lunch, and immediately started the new round of competition in the afternoon. This highlights the downside of having fewer teams; over the years, the officials have implemented nearly non-stop scheduling to increase the excitement of the matches. Teams that perform well spend the entire year traveling around the world for both regional and international competitions.

Goodbye, I think.

There’s not much issue with scheduling a match between Gen and HLE, as both teams returned on the same flight, maximizing fairness in the competition. However, the intensity of Gen's schedule is quite high, facing HLE on the first day and then T1 on the third day, starting off with a hellish difficulty level, having only one day to adapt to the new match version. Of course, T1 and HLE are in the same situation.

What do you think about this situation, dear viewers?