LOL: My talent is top-tier, my professional skills are unparalleled.

Chapter 453 The Gods Return! The All-Star Game Begins!
However, to the delight of fans, Scout, who left the LPL, has returned!

On the surface, this lineup is not much worse than last year's, because the core members are still there.

but……

Substitute...Kshine...Wang Yao!

"???"

"Wha, what do you mean?"

"What's going on?! Scout's back, and now Yao's on the bench? What does that mean?!"

"what??"

"Wait, are we going to have to switch seats?!"

"The question is, at least give me a specific position. What is the situation of this substitute?!"

"It's not like they're going to offer K a huge contract extension and then bench him, that would be too surreal."

"It's highly likely he'll be switching positions. I guess it'll be top lane. Clearlove can still play jungle, after all, he's been playing with Yao and Xiaoxue for so long."

"..."

Clearly, everyone was once again baffled by EDG's actions.

The entire internet was in an uproar!
Of course, it's not just netizens.

The rest of EDG were also confused.

At this moment, in the training room on the second floor of the EDG club.

After Wang Yao finished his stream, Meiko, who was not far away, couldn't wait to ask, "Brother Yao, what's the situation with the substitute?"

Others also turned their attention to this.

Wang Yao raised an eyebrow and said matter-of-factly, "A substitute is a substitute."

"Ah this..."

Meiko choked for a moment, then finally managed to gather her thoughts and continued, "No, I mean, which position's substitute!"

We can't possibly replace all five positions!
However, before he could even react, Wang Yao's voice came leisurely: "Of course, whoever has a problem will be replaced. If there are no problems, I don't need to play."

As soon as he finished speaking, Meiko, Saint Gun, and the others all tilted their heads back slightly and widened their eyes, as if they had been greatly shocked.

...There's even such a substitute method?!

But, thinking about it carefully, it seems that maybe, there really isn't a problem?
This kind of thing that defies common sense when it happens to others suddenly seems less outrageous when it happens to Yao Ge.

There's nothing we can do about it. Who would have thought that the AD carry FMVP and the mid lane FMVP would both be achieved by the same person?

Theoretically speaking, a player who can adapt to playing AD in the bot lane should have no problem playing support or top lane.

Players who can adapt to the mid lane should also have no problem playing jungle or top lane, so who dares to say they can't play the remaining top, jungle, and support positions?!

Online.

There's been a lot of discussion about Wang Yao's 'substitute' position!

Countless people flooded the comments section of EDG's official Weibo account, tagging EDG and demanding a definitive explanation.

"No way, you're just going to send out a substitute? Explain yourself! What position will Yao play next season?!"

"You have the ability to make announcements, you have the ability to come out and explain!!"

"@EDG esports club, stop playing dead and speak!"

"Forget about positions, explain to me what 'substitute' means!!"

"You're not really going to start anymore, are you?"

"..."

Unfortunately, no matter how much everyone discussed it, not a single person from EDG responded!

So, this matter can only be put to rest for now, and we'll see how it goes once the S9 tournament officially begins.

And next.

With EDG's roster finalized, it was like a signal that the entire LPL, no, it should be said that all regions, had begun a flurry of transfer activity!
Online, countless messages are flying everywhere!

The transfer rumors, both true and false, are mixed together, making it dizzying!

Furthermore, the enthusiasm of onlookers is quite high!

If a professional player goes live without turning on their camera, viewers will immediately suspect that they are a player who has come to the training base for trials!

This left many contestants both amused and exasperated.

And accordingly.

As the transfer window progresses, news about other teams besides EDG is being confirmed.

The first one is RNG!

The so-called strongest all-Chinese lineup since S7 has suffered a Waterloo for two consecutive years!
This year, in particular, there was a stunning upset, with two laughs that lasted all the way to S9!

In this kind of public opinion environment, it is naturally unrealistic to maintain the original lineup.

Mala Xiangguo and Letme have both announced their retirement!
The top lane is rotated between AmazingJ (AJ) and Zz1tai (Zitai).

Karsa will start in the jungle.

Continuing to aim for S9!

And then, another team quietly took shape—FPX!

After their failure in S8 last year, they chose to spend a lot of money to bring in mid laner Doinb and championship jungler Tian to strengthen their team.

With Gongzi in the top lane and the outstanding bot lane duo, there are almost no obvious weaknesses left!

It's safe to say that FPX is the most successful team in this year's transfer window, having landed the most big names!

Finally, there's the rise of the TOP team, with their star duo, Knight and 369, both performing exceptionally well.

In comparison, the personnel changes of other teams were less eye-catching.

IG's roster remains unchanged, while WE still looks like it has completely fallen from its former glory. As one of the three major teams, it seems unlikely that they will ever be able to return to the top of the LPL.

of course.

And then there's the LCK.

First up is SKT.

After all the older generation of players except Faker left, they chose to bring in jungler Clid and top laner Khan in an attempt to regain their glory in S9.

Secondly, a young team called DWG began to emerge.

Top laner Nuguni, jungler Canyon, mid laner Showmaker, support Beryl!

Aside from the AD carry position, it seems to already resemble the legendary team of later generations.

Of course, DWG wasn't the only one to emerge.

There's another team that's clearly going to shine even brighter!
That's right, GRF! It's Griffin!
Mid laner Chovy, AD carry Viper, jungler Tarzan, and almost everyone else is hailed as a genius capable of taking over the mantle of the LCK era!
Although Griffin failed to reach the semifinals this year, their strength is undeniable. These exceptionally talented players need more time to prove themselves.

This year's LCK is brimming with talent, a stark contrast to last year's lack of available players, making it almost a year of revival!
Viewers across the LCK region have once again been filled with hope.

The first generation of S7 was destroyed, and the dynasty collapsed.

The second generation S8 was also destroyed, and the legend fell.

The S9 is now in its third generation!

It's time for them to fight back and take back the throne!
Anyway, putting everything else aside, LCK viewers who were almost in despair after S8 have regained their confidence!
The remaining EU and NA.

Most of the discussion revolves around one team.

G2!

After the introduction of the new mid laner Caps, the original mid laner Perkz actually switched to the AD carry position!
In fact, his performance in the AD position was also quite outstanding!

The entire G2 team also exuded a certain incredible aura.

Vitality—it seems this is the right way to showcase their lineup.

G2's official Twitter account even created a special segment on the topic.

It was a long image.

First, the players representing FNC and other European teams, with EU flags behind them, struggled to climb, but ultimately collapsed halfway up.

At this moment, the person representing G2 walked up, grabbed the flag, kicked FNC and the others aside, and climbed up the mountain in a few moves!
The gist is quite clear: You guys are no good enough; it's up to us, G2, to rebuild the glory of the EU!
……

no doubt.

This year's transfer window has seen a surge in activity from all major regions!
Putting EDG aside for now, the other teams are all equally impressive!
In the LPL region, teams like RNG, who continue to challenge for supremacy, FPX, with its well-formed roster, and TOP, led by their two star players, have all attracted a large audience.

Meanwhile, in the LCK, the veteran SKT team is led by a team of rising stars.

Both GRF and DWG are truly dazzling!
As for European and American teams, G2 has taken up the mantle and is showing unprecedented momentum!
It can be described in four words: a battle for supremacy!

As for who this deer is...

At this moment, in Shanghai, at the EDG base.

"Everyone!" Abu walked into the training room, beaming, and announced loudly, "The All-Star voting is here, and our team is all on the list!"

Upon hearing this, Meiko and the others exchanged glances, then turned around with great interest and began searching for the voting page!

"Holy crap! They really went all out!"

Since the All-Star team selects players through voting, what they're really after is nothing more than two words—popularity!
Those selected to participate are not necessarily the strongest, but they are definitely the most popular!
Take Uzbekistan, for example.

Once he's on the shortlist, it almost guarantees he'll be number one in the vote!

It doesn't matter how many of these votes were cast by white people and how many by black people, as long as the number of votes is the highest!
This affects not only the AD carry position, but also the support position!
After all, the bot lane duo is definitely more effective when the original teammates are paired together.

Therefore, in the support role, it's highly likely that Xiaoming will get more votes...

no way.

Despite Meiko's dual championship title, he is still not the most dazzling player in the EDG team.

It is undoubtedly unrealistic to directly surpass the top e-sports players like Uzi.

But...

The situation is different in the middle, middle, and upper positions!

To describe it in four words: leaving everyone else in the dust!
Just as everyone predicted.

A week later, the All-Star voting results were released, and the selections were almost entirely unexpected.

Top lane: TheShy!

Jungler: Clearlove!

Mid laner: Kshine! AD: Uzi!

Support: ming!

Of course, there were other invited streamers and commentators, such as Yu Shuang and Sao Nan.

Interestingly, Xi Ran was also on the list of invitees!

At this moment, inside the EDG base.

"Sigh." Meiko sighed as she looked at the screen. "As expected, I wasn't included."

Beside him, Wang Yao said leisurely, "What, you really want to go? Don't worry, it will be your turn."

"I'm afraid it'll be a bit difficult." Meiko clicked his tongue. Thinking about Uzi's popularity, he even felt that he would never be able to participate in the All-Star game in his lifetime.

"That's not necessarily true." Wang Yao gave him a meaningful look.

Talk about it.

Although the All-Star Game is just an entertainment event, its influence is still considerable.

This thing has received a lot of attention every time it's held since Season 3!

no way.

The name "All-Star" tells you that all the players attending are top-tier players from each region!

Players like Faker, Uzi, and Caps are almost guaranteed to be present, and now we also have to add the EDG players.

As long as these people are around, the traffic will never be low!
"Alright, you guys continue, I'm going to make a phone call." Wang Yao got up and walked straight outside.

As for who to call, is that even a question? Xi Ran is going to the All-Star game too!
……

Wait until evening.

The official All-Star Game schedule has been released.

Given the exhibition nature of All-Star, we have cancelled the main event and officially changed it into a regional exhibition match. Furthermore, this year we have added a charity 2v2 tournament, an East vs. West Bo5 showdown…

In short: Starting this year, the All-Star Game will be completely entertainment-oriented!

In the past, everyone who went to play in the All-Star game had a very strong desire to win, especially in the main competition between regions.

But this year is clearly different!
Online comments are quite supportive of this.

"That's right, All-Stars should be entertainment matches, if you want to watch the official matches, then why don't you watch the World Championship?"

"Let's get this party started! I want to see Uzi's Torso! I want to see the factory manager's elementary school student! I want to see Yao-ge... uh, what can't Yao-ge do?"

"Brother Yao... how about letting him go jungle? We can let Uzumaki play Yasuo and boost Brother Yao's strength!"

"This is good, this is good, haha."

"Brother Yao: If you want me dead, just say so!"

"Hehe, actually I'd rather see Yao-ge and Xi-ran have a solo match. You all say Yao-ge is definitely going to be the solo champion, but I want to see what the world's number one player is all about!"

"..."

As I said before, an entertainment match should be treated like an entertainment match.

We've been watching the main games all year, and now that it's finally an All-Star game, what's the point of having to go through all that main game stuff?

They might as well do something funny!
That's what makes the show interesting!

……

As time passed, more than half a month went by.

After a period of frenzied speculation and gossip during the transfer window, people have actually become quite bored.

There's nothing I can watch!

With the S-series tournament over, the biggest off-season of the year has arrived. Almost all the players from the clubs are on vacation and there are no matches to play!
Therefore, the internet in China has gradually calmed down over this period of time.

Until December 6th arrived!

Yes, this is the day the All-Star Game starts!

Las Vegas, USA!

This city, one of the world's four major gambling cities, is the largest city in Nevada and is known as the entertainment capital of the world.

This year's All-Star event was held here by Riot Games.

of course.

Domestic audiences were clearly not satisfied with this arrangement.

There's no other reason than that it's too far away and the time difference is too great!

By the time the fighting starts here, it will be late at night back home.

In other words, if you want to watch the All-Star game, you have to stay up all night!

Otherwise, you'll have to watch the replay the next day, which is quite frustrating.

Even so, countless viewers still expressed their determination to stay glued to their screens!
Let's return to the scene.

Live from the Esports Arena esports venue.

This is the first professional esports arena on the Las Vegas Strip. It has only been open for six months, but it has almost all the equipment needed for esports competitions!
With the arrival of teams from various regions, this place has attracted attention from all over the world!

10:00 AM local time.

The venue opened ahead of schedule, and countless spectators flocked in, with live streaming channels across all platforms being opened and connected!
Domestically, it was already late at night, but the official live stream was packed with viewers!

"They're here! They're here!!"

"Finally, a match to watch! Hurry up and bring it out!!"

"I'm going all out! I'm not sleeping tonight! Let me see Yao-ge first!!"

"Okay, okay, I'm relieved to see so many other people watching together. I'm not the only one staying up all night."

How did you know I was planning to slack off and catch up on sleep at work tomorrow?

"Ugh, final exams are coming up soon, why am I watching a live stream here? What am I doing?!"

"Excuse me, but we university students are fearless!"

"Really, upstairs? Then I wish you fail eight subjects this year first."

"What?! You're so vicious!!"

"..."

The chat was filled with a dense barrage of comments, making it almost impossible to see the content on the screen!
The live stream's popularity skyrocketed, reaching ten million, twenty million, fifty million...

There are strong signs that the previous S-series glory will be replicated!

Back-end control room.

Several government officials stared in disbelief, their mouths agape: "Holy crap..."

They thought the buzz might be high.

But I never expected it to be this high!
Keep in mind, this isn't some S-series finals, and even the timing is incredibly unlucky!
However, even with so many unfavorable buffs stacked up, the popularity still exploded, making them feel like they were in a dream!

Of course, it's not just LPL.

At this moment, the official live streams in other regions were also incredibly popular!
It is worth mentioning that.

This year's All-Star Game features 14 different regions.

It's worth noting that only eight regions participated in last year's S7 All-Star tournament.

This shows just how rapidly the league's competitions have developed over the past year!

Maybe that's why.

Even before the All-Star Game started, the number of viewers had already surpassed last year's peak!
Breaking the record!

Finally, it was 10:30 local time.

The highly anticipated All-Star event has officially begun!
"Hello everyone! I'm your old friend, Miller!"

"Hello everyone, I'm the commentator Wawa."

"Hello everyone, this is commentator Ji De!"

In the video, three official LPL commentators read their opening remarks with relaxed smiles. It's just an entertainment match, there's no need to make it so serious.

"The All-Star event is about to begin, and the first match will be the newly added 2V2 charity match!"

"Let me briefly explain the rules. In this competition, one professional player will be randomly selected to team up with a streamer or commentator to compete against other teams..."

in short.

The so-called 2V2 is basically one god carrying one noob!
Since it's an entertainment match, it should naturally look like an entertainment match.

It's more fun when an expert guides a beginner!

And at this time.

A series of screams suddenly rang out from the scene!

“Wuhu!!!”

"Kshine!!"

"Faker!! Faker!!"

Yes, the contestants on both sides have entered the stage above!

The host from the North American home turf passionately introduced the candidates from both sides in English.

"Blue team: Faker from SKT!! and Captain, a streamer from Oceania!"

"And for the red team: Kshine from EDG!! And for the LPL commentator, Xiran!!"

As he spoke, the host revealed a meaningful smile and drew out his words:
"That's right, this is a clash of titans! Both sides are a combination of angels and demons! So, who will emerge victorious?"

The words fell.

The audience below the stage burst into laughter.

They truly are angels and demons.

Two players who have reached the pinnacle of the league are facing off, but each has to bring along a player who is specifically there to drag them down...

It's both laughable and pathetic no matter how you look at it.

Putting everything else aside, the entertainment value alone was top-notch.

(End of this chapter)