The LPL's third phase of group matches has been underway for five days now. Aside from AL, BLG, and JDG, all teams have completed their first matches. In the last match day, T1 achieved a clean sweep against FPX, securing their third consecutive win. After changing their support, TES's performance has actually improved, and Hang seems to be a better fit than Liu Qingsong. If they continue this way, T1 has a chance to reclaim their former glory.

The dark horse team WE in the second phase lost to IG and WBG, showing a significant decline in their strength compared to the last phase. If they can make adjustments, they still have a chance to bounce back. Similarly, FPX, after kicking Shadow out, has fallen to the sidelines. It’s unclear what the management was thinking, as the jungle had been performing well, and Asam did decently, yet they decided to let both go during the transfer period.

GEN qualifies for the S15 World Championship.

The LCK's third phase officially started yesterday, with GEN, who previously won the MSI and the Oil Cup, facing HLE in their first match back home. GEN, in peak form, easily defeated HLE with a score of 2:0, marking a successful start to the third phase and securing their spot in the World Championship. According to Riot's official rules, MSI champions qualify for the World Championship as long as they reach the playoffs.

After winning against HLE, GEN's regular season record stands at 19-0 (continuing their performance from the first two rounds), with a point differential of +34. Even if they lose all subsequent matches, their overall record would still be at least 19 wins and 11 losses, with a point differential of +12. In the LCK legendary group, only the top four teams advance to the playoffs, and HLE, T1, NS, and KT cannot all achieve 19 wins simultaneously, so GEN has already qualified for the playoffs.

T1 publicly apologizes to Zeus.

On the day of the LCK's third phase opening match, T1 held a meeting to apologize to Zeus. The CEO of T1 revealed details about Zeus's transfer during the meeting, stating that the initial offer of 8 million did not respect the player. Later, during discussions, the agency set a deadline, but T1 mistakenly believed there was no deadline, causing them to miss the negotiation window.

Throughout the transfer period, Zeus did not engage in any violations, meaning that previous claims made by Zhao Mashu were baseless. The timing of T1's statement coincided with HLE's loss to GEN, which suggests that T1 was quite strategic in clarifying Zeus's situation at this moment. Everyone knows the purpose behind this, especially with last year's championship skin set to release next week; as a club, T1 likely wants to maximize their share, which is why they stepped forward to apologize.

The 26th Asian Games esports events have been confirmed.

With about a year to go until the 26th Asian Games, the esports events have all been finalized. A total of 11 games have been selected, including fighting games like King of Fighters, Street Fighter, and Tekken, which will compete for one medal. In the MOBA category, there are Honor of Kings, League of Legends, and Peak Showdown. Battle royale games include PUBG Mobile and Naraka: Bladepoint, along with Pokémon, Gran Turismo 7, and Identity V.

At the last Asian Games, LPL only secured a bronze medal. After two years, the competition returns, but player selection seems to be a significant issue. Players like Knight and Bin are not performing as well as they did two years ago. Although AL has done well this year, their core players are all Korean imports. Changkex has a chance to compete for the mid-lane, but Hope's ceiling is too low. It’s possible that next year's Asian Games will see the AD position contested between ELK and JKL, with perhaps one more addition.

Conclusion:

After T1 released their statement, Zeus's agency also responded, and it seems both sides have reached a reconciliation. If this is genuine, it appears Zeus might have a chance to return to T1 next year. However, there's also a possibility that this is just a temporary facade for selling skins. Regardless, with matters having progressed this far, it seems there are no significant conflicts left between the two parties.

So, who do you think should be selected for the Asian Games?

Feel free to leave your comments and discuss!