CNCS has finally welcomed back the long-awaited champion! When will CN.LOL reclaim its glory?

Recently, Tianlu TYLOO secured their first title at the CS2 Fission World S1 Finals. Facing immense pressure, they managed to come back from behind and defeat the formidable Danish team Astralis. From Hangzhou to Serbia, we were not favored, but we turned the odds in our favor with our unwavering faith! This victory marks the first championship for CNCS in 20 years, almost like a dream. It represents the youth and passion of esports players, finally reaching a milestone and fulfilling our dreams at this moment!

However, this is just a small snapshot of the esports era. In the realm of esports, we have been gradually catching up on our unique path. Along the way, we have come to understand some fundamental differences. Compared to Europe and the USA, as well as Korea, their esports ecosystems are more developed, and their training systems are superior to ours. Their talent pool is continuously flowing, all because they laid the groundwork for esports much earlier, and the industry has become deeply rooted! Although our esports scene is improving with the influx of capital, we have consistently remained challengers on the road to championships!

In FPS games, we have struggled against Europe and the USA until Tianlu broke this barrier eight years ago, giving us hope, culminating in this dream fulfillment in Serbia! In the MOBA genre, DOTA has seen both glory and decline, yet it remains a contender and a stronghold! In Honor of Kings, we have absolute dominance, but it seems to be a niche industry, much like the electric vehicle sector. We have always been champions, yet it feels somewhat limited, lacking continuity! In League of Legends, we previously struggled against Korea until 2018 when we won at the Jakarta Asian Games. We clinched the S8 World Championship, followed by consecutive victories at MSI, and further championships in S9 and S11. With wins and losses, we are both competitors and defenders!

However, at the Riyadh Esports World Cup EWC, the League of Legends team AG.AL from the LPL region couldn't complete a reverse sweep, ultimately losing to GEN from the LCK in the finals! Although the match was thrilling and our players performed exceptionally well, showcasing their passion, it doesn't change the fact that we lost again. The LCK has now claimed the championship title seven times in a row! Since JDG's victory at the 2023 MSI, the LPL has not secured any international championship, with every subsequent title going to the LCK! With 13 global finals championships, 24 MSI championships, 25 EWC championships, S14 global finals championships, 25 global pioneer championships, 25 MSI championships, and 25 EWC championships, can the LPL reclaim its glory?

Once, everyone hoped for a fully Chinese roster to win a championship. In 2018, RNG exited the quarterfinals in disappointment. During that time, the fully Chinese teams TES/WBG also pursued their dreams but fell short by a significant margin. The highly anticipated BLG performed admirably, carrying many hopes, yet they fell just one BO1 short in S14, just a small step away! Now, the fully Chinese roster we once awaited seems to be drifting further away. RNG's sale of the club means they won't return, and BLG, with internal conflicts in the jungle position, has lost its essence, leaving no trace of “coming back”! Now, we no longer anticipate the return of a fully Chinese roster; we just wish for the LPL to reclaim its glory. Can AL do it? What about TES, iG, JDG, or BLG? Everything is uncertain, and no one knows how far into the future it will take!

People love strong contenders. At the Riyadh EWC venue and the S tournament, the cheers heard were all for "Let’s go Gen," and the support for T1 and Faker! But all of this is earned through their hard work and talent! In contrast, we only have criticism for our players and coaching staff in the comments! The path of the strong needs time to mature. Give the LPL the time it needs; glory will be reclaimed, it will surely happen! The question is, who should we rely on this year? The next homegrown mid-laner, the next world-class top-laner, or the next world-class AD? Who else will it be?