LOL: Can’t I play other games professionally?

Chapter 533: Another slap in the face?
After a day of rest and adjustment, EDG will immediately head to Gwangju, South Korea, the venue for the semifinals.

of course.

For the EDG team, the distance from Busan to Gwangju is at most the distance from a county to a provincial capital, which takes only a few hours and won't affect their training time much.

After arriving in Gwangju, the so-called training schedule still cannot be relaxed. Fortunately, there is IG, who is also from the LPL, in the other half of the bracket, so EDG will not lack training matches like last year.

Thinking back to last year's World Championship, IG also acted as our volunteer practice partner. Fate is truly amazing.

This has led to a lot of discussion among the IG team members during daily training matches.

For example, last year we sparred with you to help you win the world championship, so this year the world championship must go to our IG!

Lin Ruo agreed, suggesting that they first eliminate GRF as an obstacle for IG in the semifinals.

Who would have thought that JK would reveal the truth in just one sentence?

Our biggest obstacle for IG is obviously EDG, so please hurry up and lose to GRF in the semifinals instead of wasting time.

"Very brave," Lin Ruo could only say.

However, judging from the performance in the training matches over the past two days, he can indeed see that IG's form is steadily improving, but there are some differences.

Judging solely from their performance in scrims, it seems that FNC is performing better than IG.

This is the conclusion that can be drawn from playing training matches over the past two days.

Lin Ruo could understand. According to many behind-the-scenes reports, when IG won the championship, they were not as good as FNC in scrims.

At that time, FNC had the best scrims among all the teams, which is why the European commentators were so confident that they could win the championship. But who could have imagined that the actual matches would turn out to be the opposite of the scrims?

After performing adequately in scrims, IG decisively swept FNC in the finals.

This means that scrimmages cannot be used as the best standard for judging a team's condition.

However, GRF seems to think differently. They are glad that IG did not refuse to play scrims with them because of LPL's exclusionary policy. As a result, they have been playing against FNC and IG, the two teams in the bottom bracket, for some time now.

Based on their performance in scrimmages, GRF members believe that FNC is stronger and more important.

These messages somehow leaked out from the GRF coaching staff, sparking considerable discussion on Korean online forums that follow the matches.

This discussion is based entirely on the number of wins and losses between GRF and FNC and IG.

Simply put, FNC had a 40/60 chance against GRF in scrims, while IG had a 30/70 chance against GRF.

A simple comparison shows that IG is smaller than FNC, which is smaller than GRF.

As for EDG, their performance in the quarterfinals was quite lackluster, and judging from the scrim news from FNC, EDG doesn't seem to be as strong as they were in the group stage.

So, wouldn't GRF have a better chance of winning the championship?

In this situation, it seems that LCK and LPL fans have formed completely different opinions and expectations.

The LPL is already speculating about two LPL teams making it to the finals, culminating in an epic scenario where Incheon has no Korean teams.

Meanwhile, LCK hopes that GRF will defeat EDG, and FNC will defeat IG, thus bringing together Korean and European teams in the finals, striving to reclaim their position as the world's number one region at this year's World Championship.

Furthermore, they will also strip LPL of its title as the second-best region.

Both sides seem to have legitimate reasons, but as the competition begins, one side will inevitably be proven wrong.

10 month 23 day.

The semifinals of the 2018 League of Legends World Championship officially began at the Gwangju Women's University Gymnasium in South Korea.

Holding the competition in the school's gymnasium reflects, to some extent, the importance that South Korea attaches to e-sports competitions. After all, if a sacred place for teaching and educating people can be used to hold competitions, it would be unreasonable not to value it.

However, South Korean viewers who love esports didn't get to see their own Korean team play; today was destined to be a China-Europe showdown.

Although there are Koreans in the IG team, that is not a reason for Korean viewers to support them.

Most LCK viewers who came to the venue clearly only supported one team: FNC, a team without any Koreans.

It doesn't matter if there are no Koreans, as long as we beat the Chinese team.

At least among many LCK viewers, they believe that FNC is stronger than IG, so it's no wonder that there were more Korean viewers present today.

However, the game did not go as they had anticipated.

No, it's more accurate to say that things didn't develop in the direction anyone expected.

Many commentators believe that FNC has a better chance of winning the game, but even so, this best-of-five series will likely go to a close.

It certainly isn't a one-sided affair.

But the result seems to be completely reversed; the game was one-sided.

Korean viewers were incredulous, and European and American commentators were equally incredulous.

Not only was the match one-sided, but the team that was completely outmatched was FNC.

Yes, it's FNC, who were considered more likely to advance to the finals before the tournament.

The FNC coaching staff, including all six players, did not expect that, as the most disciplined team in the European region, they would play just as many scrims as the Chinese and Korean teams during this World Championship.

They even performed quite well, putting up a fight against EDG and GRF.

But ironically, FNC suffered an unprecedented crushing defeat at the hands of IG in this semifinal.

In the first game, they undoubtedly encountered the same situation as KT, which was that they were already unable to withstand IG's large-scale offensive in the early game.

Is this still the same IG team that was timid and prone to feeding kills in scrims?

Are you trying to create a TSM clone here?

After the first game ended, the FNC players who went down were still in a daze.

Fortunately, they reacted quickly.

Don't panic, it's just a few initial moves.

What's the use of being good in the first game if you can maintain that level of performance for all three games?

They've seen plenty of teams that are strong in the first game but then fizzle out from the second.

Nothing to be afraid of.

After figuring things out, the FNC players went on stage with that mindset.

Immediately following was another brutal and satisfying defeat for FNC, who were utterly thrashed and forced to leave the stage. Their top laner, in particular, completely lost his composure, feeling like the team couldn't function without his girlfriend's help.

Wait, isn't this already the second game? Why is IG still so strong?

The FNC members were baffled, as were all the Korean audience members present.

We pay to watch the game and cheer you on, only to see you get thrashed by the LPL?

"Damn, IG is too strong today. It feels like FNC can't keep up with this pace at all."

The Korean commentators were dumbfounded. The European commentators, on the other hand, were wailing. Had their proud European star turned out to be an unprecedentedly pathetic loser in front of IG?

Subsequent results proved this to be true.

After FNC brought in their sister-in-law, they played better than in the previous two games. At least they struggled, but ultimately they couldn't turn things around and were still crushed.

On the first day of the semifinals, FNC suffered a stunning 3-0 sweep by IG.

"Is this still IG? My God, how can they perform so well?"

The LPL commentators, the Haier Brothers, were both shocked and grinning from ear to ear.

"IG played incredibly well today. They maintained the same level of strength as they did in the quarterfinals. Without a doubt, they are the biggest surprise for the LPL in this World Championship."

"Awesome, IG!"

IG has made it to the finals!

Doesn't this mean that the Chinese civil war has taken a huge step forward?

As for EDG playing GRF tomorrow, is that something the LPL should be worried about?
Obviously not, this is something that Korean viewers should be worried about regarding the LPL.

After the match, LCK fans on Korean online forums were completely stunned.

This match was completely different from what they predicted before the game. FNC was supposed to be very strong in scrims, but they ended up getting completely crushed.

The practice match must be fake.

They can't expect anything from Europe and America. Oh well, they should have realized that this IG team is completely different from the moment KT went home in the quarterfinals.

[Damn it, they let the LPL into the finals.]

[Oh my god, I'm so worried now. This IG team seems just as tough to beat as EDG. Even if GRF makes it to the finals, it won't be easy for them.]

FNN played so well in scrims, but then performed like this in the actual match. What will tomorrow's match be like?

This year has been incredibly unlucky. Are you sure this is a home game? They're playing like it's an away game in football, completely lacking fighting spirit.

...

Korean viewers initially judged EDG's performance based on analogy, but FNC's poor performance caused them to completely collapse.

Fortunately, LCK viewers still have something to defend.

Didn't they say that FNC and EDG's scrims were evenly matched? Does that mean EDG is about as bad as FNC right now?
This viewpoint seems reasonable, but LCK viewers have clearly forgotten the most important point: FNC and GRF also have a 40/60 chance of winning scrims.

If FNC is used to infer that EDG is in bad form, then it's clear that GRF isn't in much better shape either.

This clearly creates a counterargument.

Therefore, it's understandable that South Korean netizens started to worry.

Can GRF beat EDG tomorrow? Hopefully, the finals won't become an LPL internal battle.

[It would be incredibly embarrassing if our Korean teams weren't in the finals. This is our home turf. If our home turf is an LPL internal battle, then LCK should just disband.]

No, trust GRF, they will definitely win.

[Damn it, tomorrow there's only one path: win. If we lose, we'll never be able to clear our names, and the LPL will crush League of Legends until it's finished.]

[Sigh, we haven't seen any home advantage at all so far. Who said playing at home gives us a bonus? It feels like it's a negative one for us.]

【You're right, it was definitely a negative factor. At least at this time last year, we had two teams in the semifinals, and there wouldn't have been any group stage eliminations.】

Compared to tomorrow's final, Korean netizens are definitely more interested in discussing the concept of home advantage.

They couldn't understand why their own team performed terribly at their home ground, while other teams were incredibly strong at their home ground.

Could it be that the cheering from the audience put a lot of pressure on the team? Or maybe they just wanted to go home because the home venue is so close to home?

Are the team members really that weak under psychological pressure? Or is it because they've been getting crushed by the LPL for two years in a row that they've developed LPL phobia?
If we lose again tomorrow, then we really will have to go home.

So tonight is destined to be a sleepless night for Korean fans.

We haven't even gotten past EDG yet, and now IG is coming. Even if we make it to the finals, it will still be a tough battle, and it won't be easy to win.

If the match against EDG reveals too much, Korean viewers will have even less reason to expect that they can beat IG in the finals. EDG can just wear you down with a series of attacks, and what can you do about it?

Who told your South Korean teams to be so disappointing? One team finished last in the group stage and was eliminated, while the other was treated like a robot in the quarterfinals.

Those who don't know the situation might think that only GRF from LCK is participating in this World Championship, because the other two teams don't seem like they're here to compete at all.

In short, Lin Ruo still had other ideas regarding the concerns of Korean fans about the finals. Want to make it to the finals? What are you thinking?

Who gave you the courage to beat EDG and still dream of reaching the finals?
That's too confident.

An hour after IG won the game, Lin Ruo, who was watching the game, calmly posted a Saiyan full-health resurrection meme on Twitter with the caption.

"Kids, my voice is better now, and I'm about to dominate. If the finals are an LPL internal battle, I think I won't feel any pressure at all."

[Oh my god, guys, our Forest God is speaking like God again.]

[Okay, considering Lin Shen's words, as a European viewer, I'll forgive EDG for bullying our European teams in the quarterfinals.]

[As expected, Lin Shen's public statement means we can congratulate EDG on advancing to the finals, and all the Korean teams are out. Don't ask why, because Lin Shen's predictions have never been wrong.]

[This is unbelievable! You guys worship Lin Shen that much? GRF is really strong this year. Oh, so Lin Shen is that all-powerful former ADC, now jungler. Okay, I'll worship him first.]

...

Western netizens routinely echo and praise him; as long as Lin Ruo's boasts aren't proven wrong, they will remain steadfast in their support.

The angry South Korean viewers, however, had something to say, but at this moment they couldn't really say it.

It is very difficult to deal damage when the wind is against you.

At least in the current predictions, most viewers and commentators are optimistic that EDG will advance. After all, you can't assume that EDG is finished just because they didn't perform well in the quarterfinals.

Moreover, the score is usually 3:0.

Aside from Korean viewers and commentators, there's no reason for Europe, America, or the LPL not to support EDG, who have dominated the entire year.

Regardless of the outcome, supporting EDG is always the right thing to do right now, because they are the champions of this year and the nemesis of Korean teams for two consecutive years.

The most common prediction is that the match between the two teams will be somewhat close.

Both Korean and European commentators believe that it is possible to go to a decisive game, and that it is unlikely that Bao will be swept in less than three hours like today's Bo5.

GRF is not weak either. Their performance since the World Championship has been among the top three, and they were at least composed when facing LPL team RNG.

Unlike other Korean teams that performed very poorly when facing LPL teams.

So the minimum guarantee will probably be very difficult to achieve...

If not, then okay, LPL is invincible.

(End of this chapter)