Chapter 153: Departure Ceremony, Where’s Unreal?
Just as Ai Luoli’s live stream unexpectedly topped Steam’s best-selling list, sparking widespread discussion across the internet.
Inside the EDG club, there was a small discussion regarding TheShy’s tryout performance.
Ao Nuo looked at Kuaisu Xing’s submitted evaluation report: “So, you mean this TheShy… has potential, but also big problems, and can be signed as a reserve?”
Kuaisu Xing nodded: “Yes, Manager. His laning ability is indeed quite good in the top lane, but his anti-gank awareness and team communication are serious weaknesses. The current meta is all about tanks and team fights, and we already have Mouse on the top lane, which is enough. We can just focus around the mid lane. However, his talent is worth investing in. If the meta changes, or if we need to change our tactics, he might become an unexpected player.”
After saying this, Kuaisu Xing was quite proud. It was indeed different being able to communicate like this in daily conversation.
Ao Nuo pondered for a moment, then looked at the report stating “communication barriers, doesn’t understand Chinese at all,” and rubbed his temples with a headache.
“Communication is a big problem… and we already have quite a few Koreans on the team.”
Kuaisu Xing didn’t say anything further about this.
Anyway, he had submitted the evaluation report to the manager, and whether the person stayed or left was no longer his major concern.
To be honest, he didn’t have a very good impression of Jiang Chenglu. According to the information, he had been in WE’s youth training for so long, yet he couldn’t even communicate in simple Chinese, which was a bit laughable.
If he were to become his player, he would have to educate him properly, just like Scout.
Otherwise, this would truly be a disgrace to the LCK region…
Foreign players, foreign players. If the quality is all like this, who would be willing to find Korean players in the future?
Finally, after Ao Nuo’s consideration, EDG offered TheShy a one-year player contract, but clarified that he would initially be a substitute player, with a high probability of not getting any playing time. They also required him to learn Chinese as soon as possible and integrate into the team.
This contract, compared to other offers TheShy might have received before, was not the most favorable, and was even somewhat harsh.
According to his trajectory in his previous life, he did indeed choose to leave EDG and go to iG.
But this time, whether it was the deep impression Li Fan’s dominant performance in that training match left on him, or because EDG won the Mid-Season Invitational championship…
After receiving the notification, TheShy only pondered in silence for less than a day before making a decision that surprised Li Fan.
He chose to stay.
As TheShy, with his simple luggage, officially moved into the EDG base dormitory, Li Fan happened to run into him in the hallway.
At this moment, TheShy still seemed a bit reserved. Upon seeing Li Fan, he reflexively wanted to bow and greet him.
Li Fan reacted a bit faster this time, quickly raising his hand to feign support, and said in as simple English as possible: “Uh, welcome, we’re teammates now, no need to be so polite.”
TheShy understood some of it, a slightly shy smile appeared on his face, and he responded with effort in broken Chinese: “Th-thank you, senior! I, will work hard!”
Li Fan looked at him, feeling a sense of emotion.
The wheels of history seemed to have bumped slightly here. The future god-like TheShy had actually chosen EDG.
Could iG, which established the esports era in the future, still appear?
Would Brother’s World Championship title be gone just like that?
To be honest, winning the championship in that year meant the five most correct players.
Don’t talk about who else would have been better…
If people were swapped, would that kind of chemical reaction occur?
With TheShy’s official addition, EDG’s League of Legends branch finalized and submitted their roster for the 2017 Summer Split to the league.
Due to Kou Rou’s transfer, TheShy’s addition perfectly filled the vacant spot on the roster, keeping the number of players the same.
In the starting roster for the Summer Split officially announced by the organization, it was still the familiar starting five.
Top lane: Mouse, Jungler: Clearlove7, Mid lane: Unreal, ADC: Zet, Support: Meiko.
As for TheShy, Scout, iBoy, and Ai Luoli, they were listed as substitutes.
Mei Kong was quite fortunate, being the only player without a substitute.
With the announcement of EDG’s Summer Split roster and Kou Rou’s official transfer to RNG, fans in the esports circle immediately began to discuss.
Especially among EDG’s fanbase, some debates arose.
After all, Kou Rou, as EDG’s former “Tong Wudi,” had an astonishing performance in the 2015 MSI, helping EDG win their first official world championship, accumulating a large number of fans, especially a considerable number of female fans.
He was hailed as PDD’s successor, the only remaining carry-type top laner.
In contrast, although Mouse was stable, he lacked the kind of stunning carry performance and star power.
A stable, steady top laner like this doesn’t really attract fans.
Therefore, when they saw Kou Rou leave and join rival RNG, many of Kou Rou’s fans felt regret.
【Why let Kou Rou go? Is Mouse really stronger than Kou Rou? Did the coaching staff have a problem? 】
【Tong Wudi! Do you forget the Gnar and Hecarim from MSI? Letting him go to RNG just like that? You’ll be silenced when Tong Wudi crushes you in the Summer Split. 】
【Honestly, with a mid-lane core like Unreal, you could put a dog in the top lane and still win. Wouldn’t it have been better to let Kou Rou stay and mix in a championship? What was management thinking? Not giving him any opportunities! 】
【I feel sorry for my Brother Kou Rou, he didn’t get much playing time in his last period with EDG. I hope he can start again at RNG! 】
Although these comments were a bit extreme, they represented the genuine thoughts of some fans.
After all, in most people’s eyes, Kou Rou, with his major tournament experience and highlight moments, should have superior strength and development potential compared to Mouse, who consistently performed averagely.
To have Kou Rou traded away like this was, frankly, hard to accept.
But EDG did give Kou Rou many opportunities during the Spring Split.
But there was no other way, they lost right from the start.
In such a situation, even if he performed better in the games, losing the matches meant there was no chemistry.
Therefore, quite a few rational fans had completely different views.
【Although Mouse isn’t flashy, he’s stable and obedient, fitting into EDG’s system. He won’t easily become an exploitable weak point like some other top laners, and he adapts better to the meta. 】
【Kou Rou’s decline in form is obvious, otherwise he wouldn’t have been on the bench for so long. It might be a good thing for both him and EDG to go to RNG now, a peaceful parting. 】
【Don’t forget we have Unreal in the mid lane! Playing around him is the strongest tactic! As long as the top lane can stabilize and act as a blue-collar player, that’s the biggest contribution; a carry-type top laner isn’t needed. 】
【I think this decision is quite reasonable. Since Kou Rou doesn’t have a starting position and wants to prove himself, going to RNG is very suitable. Their top laner Letme is ridiculously bad, otherwise RNG wouldn’t have lost to EDG… 】
The draw for the 2017 LPL Summer Split officially took place.
In this year’s LPL, although the number of teams remained twelve, the landscape had subtly changed.
In addition to the veteran powerhouse teams, the power of capital began to intervene more deeply.
E-commerce giants Suning and JDG made strong entries, acquiring existing teams respectively and embarking on their esports journeys.
At the same time, the DAN team, funded by Top Esports, advanced to the LPL from the secondary league, bringing a spirit of fearless ambition, intending to make a name for themselves in the LPL.
Twelve teams, a gathering of strong contenders with no absolute weak links. Even LGD could defeat strong teams.
One could only say they specialized in playing against strong teams! Those who can defeat them are definitely not strong teams, but those who can lose to LGD are strong teams.
However, the outcome of the group draw would directly affect the early trajectory of each team in the Summer Split.
Host Ren Dong drew the names of each team one by one, placing them into Group A and Group B.
When the final group draw results settled, a slight murmur of discussion arose in the training room.
Group A: EDG, RNG, iG, DAN, Snake, IM.
Group B: WE, OMG, LGD, JDG, SNG, NB.
“Hoo, our group is quite interesting,” Clearlove said, stroking his chin. “RNG and iG are old rivals, DAN is a promoted team and heard they’re quite strong in training matches… most importantly, their club has money and intends to play the ‘great rewards breed brave men’ game. I feel like Group A is under a lot of pressure.”
“It’s actually the team funded by Top Esports. Brother Fan can try to schedule training matches with them to gauge their level,” Meiko said.
Li Fan smiled…
The strength displayed by the DAN team in the early stages of the Summer Split was indeed exaggerated.
In the original timeline, EDG seemed to have gone through some turbulence in the early part of this Summer Split, even having an embarrassing record of being solo-killed by DAN.
However, besides EDG, Snake Team and IM were also victims…
All were defeated 2:0 by DAN.
Thus, a saying emerged later: “The Three Heroes of Lingshi Road were destroyed.”
With such performances, DAN was very popular in the early stages of the Summer Split, with many people shouting “the wolf is coming!”
In the end, this promoted team only had those three tricks up their sleeve. Once their strategy was figured out, they were repeatedly beaten by various teams, ending with a high-to-low record of four wins and twelve losses, finishing last in Group A.
However, since the race system had changed, there was no need to worry about elimination.
With the announcement of the Summer Split group draw results, LPL viewers immediately engaged in heated discussions on various forums.
However, it was generally believed that the strength of Group A was far superior to Group B.
Group A included the Spring Split champions and third-place finishers, EDG and RNG, along with the well-established iG and the impressive IM from the previous season.
These four teams were widely recognized as the favorites to advance from Group A, possessing strong capabilities and enough rivalries to attract attention.
The remaining two teams, the promoted DAN and the veteran Snake, were by no means pushovers. Especially with rumors of DAN’s training matches and the advantage of having strong backing, people had high expectations for both teams.
【Group A is a death group. EDG, RNG, iG, IM. I feel like the playoffs will be these four teams, right? 】
【Every match in Group A will be a tough battle. Whoever can earn more points in inter-group matches will have the initiative to advance, but I still favor EDG to lead the pack. 】
【DAN might really be a spoiler. If they steal a few points from these four giants, the situation will become more interesting. It would be hilarious if someone loses a playoff spot. 】
【What about Snake? Is my Snake team not getting any respect? Once Shui Jing Ge’s form returns, we’ll show you how strong Draven is! 】
In contrast, the discussion heat for Group B was considerably lower.
WE, as the runner-up, was widely considered to be in a league of their own in Group B, with the clearest path to advancement and expected to be the leader of Group B.
The remaining OMG, LGD, JDG, SNG, and NB, had relatively close strengths, and to put it bluntly, seemed more like a fight among novices vying for the remaining three playoff spots.
【Group B… WE should be secure. The remaining five teams fighting for three spots. I feel it will be more interesting than Group A because everyone’s skill level is similar. 】
【I’m not sure if you’re trolling or genuinely believe Group B has more show effect… 】
【OMG seems to have improved this season. Leng Shao and Sima Laozei still have some skills. They at least got fourth place in the Spring Split, so they have something. 】
【LGD! Always believe in the “Optimism Family.” They can beat any strong team and lose to any weak team… Maybe they’ll even get a playoff spot? Remember they were S5 champions! They are not the Optimism Family. 】
【JDG and SNG just joined, and they don’t have many star players. I feel like they’re just here to gain experience this season. 】
Li Fan’s live stream room was incredibly popular, with the number of viewers steadily increasing every day, now reaching 180,000 concurrent viewers…
Only 20,000 more to break the 200,000 mark.
Thus, he would be the first streamer on the entire network to reach 200,000 concurrent viewers.
This number was already terrifying.
At least at this stage, it was unreproducible, as no one could gather fans from various games to watch their stream like Li Fan.
At this moment, Li Fan was not playing a game but looking at the 7.11 version update announcement just released by the official League of Legends.
This version would be the upcoming Summer Split version.
As he scrolled through the update content, the atmosphere in the live stream room gradually shifted from relaxed to somewhat heated, with viewers starting to flame in the chat.
“…Jungle item Smite mechanism adjustment,” Li Fan said calmly, looking at the announcement. “When carrying a jungle item, if you obtain a large amount of gold from lane minions too early, the gold obtained from minions will be reduced.”
The thresholds for “too early” and “large amount” were set very low.
This meant that junglers would suffer significant losses in gold and experience if they frequently helped push waves or “stole” minions in the early to mid-game.
【Holy crap! Is this targeting too obvious? 】
【Isn’t this aimed directly at Brother Fan? The jungle Lucian and jungle Master Yi strategy in the MSI finals was indeed very overpowered, but it wasn’t impossible to deal with. Why target it like this? 】
【Are the Riot designers playing unfairly? Do they just nerf something as soon as they see a new strategy? As designers, do they like telling people how to play the game? Speechless. 】
【LOL, just because Brother Fan used the “Jungle Big Brother” strategy to win the Mid-Season Invitational, they’re burying this playstyle in a coffin? 】
【Designer: Unreal, is it? You think you’re good at fighting? What’s the use of being good at fighting! To survive out here, you need to follow the meta, follow the patches! 】
【This is too outrageous. How long has it been? And they’ve already made a change? 】
【It’s understandable that the Mid-Season Invitational version is for Riot to observe how various teams understand the meta and prepare for the upcoming World Championship. 】
The live stream room was filled with condemnation of the Riot designers.
Fans knew very well that this “Jungle Big Brother” playstyle, which revolved around the jungler as the core, rapidly accumulating resources to gain an advantage in levels and economy, was precisely what allowed Li Fan to shine at the Mid-Season Invitational and one of the reasons EDG won the championship.
Now that it was so directly targeted, it was understandable to feel indignant…
Some people also felt that this playstyle was very fun to play and were disappointed that it was nerfed.
Stupid League of Legends designers!
However, Li Fan did not appear angry about being targeted like the chat.
“I thought it would last for at least one more patch, I didn’t expect it to be nerfed so quickly.”
Li Fan’s reaction stunned some viewers.
“But everyone doesn’t need to rush. This kind of change is actually very normal. When a tactic, a hero, or a position is too strong and affects game balance, the designers will definitely make adjustments.”
“The ‘Jungle Big Brother’ strategy was indeed very overpowered. It’s normal for its experience and gold acquisition to be modified.”
“From another perspective, this is not necessarily a bad thing,” Li Fan shifted the topic. “This actually shows that our previous playstyle and ideas were ahead of the meta and were successful, so successful that even the designers had to react immediately to restrict it.”
“If a strategy gets nerfed, we’ll just develop a new one. League of Legends has over a hundred heroes, countless item combinations, and tactical possibilities. Are we going to stop playing the game just because of that ‘Jungle Big Brother’ strategy?”
【Damn, Brother Fan’s mentality! Love it! Unlike other players who get angry when their strengths are targeted, he’s not. 】
【Is this the mentality of a Street Fighter 5 Brazil regional champion? Truly awesome. 】
【He’s right, the meta has changed, so we just need to adapt. With Brother Fan’s champion pool and game understanding, what’s there to fear! EDG will still win the upcoming matches. 】
【I almost forgot, this guy is a hero pool master! Whatever hero he picks is invincible. 】
【I feel like the more the designers target him, the stronger Brother Fan will become… 】
【Nerf it if you want, I have an invincible mid-lane daddy! 】
Li Fan’s confidence was like a calming pill, making EDG’s fans filled with renewed anticipation for the new version and the upcoming Summer Split.
As the Mid-Season Invitational champions, EDG were, without a doubt, chosen by the organization to be the protagonists of the Summer Split’s opening match.
The opening match of the 2017 LPL Summer Split officially kicked off under immense public attention: EDG vs. DAN.
This match attracted countless eyes.
On one hand, people wanted to see if EDG could maintain their dominance from the Mid-Season Invitational after the version changes.
On the other hand, they wanted to personally verify how the DAN team, rumored to be extremely strong in training matches and considered a dark horse by many, would perform against a universally recognized top-tier team.
Before the match, discussions on major forums and live streams were very enthusiastic.
【It’s time to test if DAN is a true dark horse! But I heard DAN is actually Top Esports’ team. The organization is really stirring things up! 】
【EDG won’t flip over, right? The version just changed, their strategy was nerfed, and they need to adjust their state… 】
【With Unreal in EDG, they’re very stable. No matter how strong DAN is, they’re still a promoted team. What makes you all think EDG will lose? 】
The course of the match directly caused all viewers expecting an upset to be greatly surprised.
Facing the aggressive DAN team, EDG displayed the foundation of a championship team and exceptional adaptability.
In the first game, DAN still deployed their dominant early-game mid-jungle combination that was undefeated in the secondary league, attempting to create opportunities through frequent attacks.
However, Li Fan was like an anchor in the mid lane, demonstrating ultimate control in both laning pressure and anti-gank awareness.
Ggoong’s attacks were like hitting cotton; he couldn’t withstand even a slight push and they were completely ineffective…
Clearlove, seeing the mid lane holding off the mid and jungle duo, perfectly controlled the jungle rhythm.
As the match entered the mid-game, EDG’s familiar macro rhythm began to exert its influence.
Li Fan’s Corki executed a perfect dive with a bomb pack, instantly shattering DAN’s formation. Subsequently, everyone swarmed in and easily achieved a team wipe.
EDG then played steadily, giving DAN no chance for a comeback, and pushed down their base in 28 minutes.
It was a thoroughly satisfying and decisive victory…
In the second game, DAN attempted to change their strategy, but EDG was clearly better prepared.
Mouse’s Shen on the top lane offered no openings and was able to communicate with his teammates, repeatedly using his ultimate skill to support the side lanes and neutralize DAN’s offense.
Meanwhile, the bot lane duo of iBoy and Meiko also solidly suppressed their opponents.
This impressed everyone; this young AD player felt quite good.
In this game, Li Fan picked Taliyah, and together with Clearlove’s Elise, they showcased mid-jungle synergy, turning DAN’s jungle upside down.
Then, in the mid-game, Li Fan precisely used his wall to block paths, completely segmenting DAN’s formation and helping EDG easily win the team fight at the Baron Nashor pit.
At 23 minutes, EDG, carrying the Baron Nashor buff, pushed aggressively and once again destroyed DAN’s nexus.
They secured the match victory 2-0 with ease.
Clean and efficient, without any unnecessary delays.
Li Fan delivered terrifying damage statistics and perfect KDA in both games, deservedly winning two consecutive MVPs.
The arena echoed with the cheers of EDG fans, and the live stream room was flooded with bullet comments congratulating EDG and praising Unreal’s prowess.
After the match concluded and both teams exchanged handshakes, Li Fan walked over to DAN’s support player, Cat.
Cat still had a look of dejection and bewilderment from the loss on his face. It was his first time stepping onto the LPL stage, and he suffered such a swift and decisive defeat.
He found it difficult to accept… even though the opponent was EDG!
But could the gap be this large?
When he saw Li Fan at the base before, he didn’t think the opponent was that strong.
Li Fan extended his hand and said to Cat, “Welcome to the LPL.”
After all, he had seen the players from DAN team quite a few times, and there was no harm in comforting someone who had lost to him after winning.
Cat was taken aback for a moment, then managed a somewhat forced smile and nodded.
【What did Unreal say to Cat? Cat seemed completely stunned. 】
In the post-match interview, when Yu Shuang asked Li Fan about his thoughts on the new version.
Li Fan picked up the microphone and seriously replied, “The meta is always changing; what’s important is how we adapt and lead it. Today’s victory is just the beginning. We will continue to work hard and play every upcoming match well.”
The words Li Fan spoke after the opening match were not meant to deceive fans. Instead, in the subsequent Summer Split journey, EDG demonstrated with one victory after another why they were the champions of the Spring Split.
They simply had that kind of strength!
First, they effortlessly defeated their old rivals from Group A, Snake and IM, and IG.
Afterward, they faced the main event of Group A, a match against RNG.
Facing an RNG team that had gained significant attention after acquiring Koro1, EDG showed no mercy and instead attacked even more fiercely.
Li Fan held an absolute advantage in his matchup against Xiao Hu, surpassing him in both champion pool and team fight performance.
Relying on the mid lane advantage, Clearlove also successfully suppressed Mlxg’s tempo.
Although Uzi gained an advantage in the bot lane, it couldn’t compensate for the huge gap in the mid and jungle.
EDG decisively defeated RNG with a 2-0 score, once again beating RNG and temporarily silencing those who protested for Koro1.
At this rate, there doesn’t seem to be much opportunity to get their revenge.
In the inter-group matchups, EDG was challenged by WE, the top team from Group B.
This match, considered a preview of the finals, attracted immense attention.
However, the match unfolded in a completely one-sided manner.
Li Fan was in incredible form, easily dominating WE’s mid lane in both games with Corki and Syndra, leading EDG to a straightforward two-game victory.
This led people to lament that Li Fan’s condition was even more terrifying than in the Spring Split, with almost no discernible weaknesses.
Thus, at the start of the Summer Split, EDG consecutively defeated DAN, Snake, IM, RNG, IG, and WE, achieving a six-game winning streak. They easily secured the top spot in the LPL points standings, displaying an invincible competitive state.
After six matches, as the league entered a brief rest period, another important international tournament was put on the agenda.
The 2017 League of Legends Asia Championship.
This was a new event added by Riot Games this year, where the top four teams from the Spring Split of the three major Asian regions (LCK, LPL, LMS) would compete as regions to determine the strongest region.
The venue for the first Asia Championship was set in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan Province, China.
The LPL region attached great importance to this new event.
It was not only an opportunity to contend for glory but also a crucial stage to test the overall strength of the LPL, especially its ability to compete against the LCK region on the international stage…
After all, everyone said that even the last-place team from the LCK region could dominate in the LPL, which truly made them want to prove themselves.
According to the rules, the four representative teams from the LPL were: Spring Split champion EDG, runner-up WE, third place RNG, and fourth place OMG.
These four teams would represent the LPL in Kaohsiung to engage in a battle for regional honor against formidable opponents from the LCK region (SKT, KT, SSG, MVP) and the LMS region (FW, AHQ, J Team, M17).
Inside the EDG base, the players, having just finished the high-intensity league matches, immediately began preparations for the Asia Championship without much rest.
The LPL region placed high importance on this Asia Championship. The coaching staff of the four participating teams convened early to study opponents from the LCK and LMS regions, sharing intelligence and discussing tactics.
Although they were rivals in the league, they now worked together for the common honor of their region. After all, if the strategies they developed were shared with teammates, their chances of winning a point would be higher.
July 5th, the departure day for the LPL region.
At Shanghai Pudong International Airport, players and staff from the four LPL representative teams—EDG, WE, RNG, and OMG—gathered to board their flights to Kaohsiung City, Taiwan Province.
A brief but grand send-off ceremony was held, attracting a large number of media and fans to see them off.
A reporter from Magic City TV also came to the airport for interviews, directing the microphone towards these players who were about to represent the LPL.
The trip to Taiwan Province for the competition had always been a topic of great public interest.
“This is your first time competing in Kaohsiung, how are you feeling? What are your expectations for the environment and venue there?” the reporter asked Clearlove.
Clearlove faced the camera and gave his signature expression: “I’m actually very excited to go to Taiwan. After all, it’s my first time participating in a competition format like the Asia Championship. I’ve heard Kaohsiung is a very beautiful city, and I hope to perform well there and bring glory to the LPL.”
Players from other teams, such as WE’s Xiye, RNG’s Xiao Hu, and OMG’s Sima Laozei, also accepted interviews, expressing similar determination and expectations.
Of course, they didn’t forget to say that competition comes second and friendship comes first…
LPL’s official accompanying staff recorded this historic moment with cameras and then uploaded a group photo of the four teams at the airport to their official social media accounts.
In the photo, players from EDG, WE, RNG, and OMG are wearing the unified team uniforms provided by the LPL region, standing together with the airport departure hall in the background. The atmosphere was quite good.
However, shortly after the photo was posted, sharp-eyed netizens discovered a major issue!
【Wait, why don’t I see Unreal on the EDG team? Where did Fan Ge go? 】
【I counted three times, everyone else from EDG is here: Mouse, Clearlove, Zet, Meiko… only Fan Ge is missing! I didn’t see Fan Ge during the interview segment either. 】
【Where is Unreal? Where is my mid laner? Where is EDG’s core? 】
【What the hell? What’s going on? Fan Ge isn’t going? Is anyone there to say what’s happening? 】
【No way! They’re not bringing Unreal to the Asia Championship? Is EDG’s management brain-dead? 】
【Don’t scare me! EDG going to the Asia Championship without Unreal? Isn’t that just giving away points? How will the others compete against Faker? They can’t play at all! 】
【What is the official doing? Hurry up and explain! 】
After all, with such a prominent figure and core player missing, it was natural for everyone to be very worried.
Facing the instant surge of accusations on Weibo and countless private messages and inquiries from fans, Ao Nuo felt an immense headache.
He put down his mobile phone, rubbed his temples, and sighed helplessly, “Now I truly understand how Abu used to feel with his headaches… Li Fan, that kid really knows how to stir things up.”
He couldn’t directly reveal the truth.
The real reason was that the main tournament phase of the PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds “Huya Bounty Tournament,” hosted by the Huya platform, was scheduled to start on July 10th.
And this date highly overlapped with the Asia Championship schedule, with only a one-day difference.
Under these circumstances, Li Fan, as the core player of the U.TES team, could not return from Kaohsiung on the day the Bounty Match began.
After in-depth communication with the club’s management, it was ultimately decided that Li Fan would not accompany the team to the Asia Championship.
He would stay in China to fully prepare for the Huya Bounty Tournament, which was essentially a short break.
For the EDG club, this decision had its internal considerations…
Because Li Fan’s contract was due to expire in just over four months, to have a possibility of renewal, they had to do their best to accommodate Li Fan.
Furthermore, although the Asia Championship was an international tournament, it was the first of its kind, and its importance and prestige, in the eyes of the club’s management, were less than traditional MSI or the World Championship.
This was for regional collective honor; even winning the championship wouldn’t be particularly special.
If they lost the match, all four teams would bear the blame.
Weighing the pros and cons, the club agreed to Li Fan’s request.
Of course, this real reason clearly could not be publicly announced.
Were they supposed to say externally that our mid laner believes the PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds matches are more important, so he’s not going to the Asia Championship…
If that were to be said, the ensuing public outcry would likely be ten times more intense than it was now!
It would not only offend all the fans who were looking forward to the LPL gaining respect on the international stage… but also ruin their goodwill with the general public.
Ao Nuo scratched his head in frustration, “Forget it. In this situation, the more I explain, the messier it gets. Let’s just stay silent and get through this for now. Saying more will only lead to more mistakes. This situation right now is actually good.”
He immediately contacted EDG’s team leader and coach Kuaisu Xing, who had already arrived in Kaohsiung, instructing them to present a unified front when facing media inquiries, to be vague, and absolutely not to reveal the true reason.
Thus, in the subsequent official responses and player interviews, EDG uniformly stated that Li Fan’s absence was due to “personal schedule arrangements,” and details were not convenient to disclose.
While this official and vague statement temporarily appeased some fans, it did not convince them.
【Personal matters? What kind of matters could be more important than the Asia Championship? 】
【I just feel something is not right, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. 】
【Uh, could it be because of the Huya Bounty Tournament? Unreal is going to participate in the Huya Bounty Tournament and won’t care about the Asia Championship? 】
【Damn it, now that you mention it, it seems increasingly likely… 】
【No, you’re a League of Legends professional player, why aren’t you going to the Asia Championship but to a PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds bounty match? I’m speechless! 】
【I’ll hate you forever! 】
【Not showing up for the honor of the region? How long is Unreal going to act out? 】
【Hilarious, you’re all focused on Unreal and haven’t noticed Uzi isn’t going either? The AD player they’re taking is Y4! 】
【If he doesn’t want to go, he doesn’t want to go, what can you do? If the LPL can’t function without Unreal, then just disband! 】
