KPL opening match, Feiniu's Dream Qi on the lane faced criticism, while Fearless MVP led JDG to a victorious start!

The 2026 KPL Spring Split has officially kicked off. Initially anticipated as a straightforward opener, JDG’s win proved to be hard-fought! Without the disputed play involving Feiniu’s Dream Qi in the deciding game, JDG could have been defeated!

In the first game, at 2 minutes, Charlotte’s defensive counterattack claimed first blood. By 6 minutes, eStar ramped up the pace with a two-for-one exchange. At 8 minutes, eStar’s top and support executed a coordinated pincer move, trapping enemies while Pei Qinhu swept the battlefield with a triple kill, securing a four-man team wipe. At 10 minutes, JDG forced Gongsun Li to fall back and took control of the Shadow Tyrant. By 12 minutes, eStar pressed the upper half of the map, killing two opponents and destroying the top outer turret.

At 15 minutes, Charlotte launched a strong offense, with teammates following up damage. Pei Qinhu once again secured a triple kill, leading eStar to wipe the enemy team and crush the crystal, taking the first game. This match showed the entire community that Feiniu didn’t join eStar to relax!

However, JDG quickly adjusted their mindset. In the second game, Fearless led JDG’s comeback! At 2 minutes, a clash in mid lane resulted in JDG killing Taiyi Zhenren for first blood. At 4 minutes, Beijing JDG secured the first Tyrant, followed by a one-for-one trade on the top lane, with JDG in better form, taking down the mid outer turret. At 8 minutes, after forcing Xishi to retreat, JDG destroyed the mid lane outer turret. By 10 minutes, Beijing JDG took control of the Shadow Tyrant and destroyed the top outer turret. At 13 minutes, eStar defended near their crystal, scoring a two-for-zero trade to stall JDG’s push. At 16 minutes, JDG killed four enemies and pushed with minions to the crystal, evening the series.

In the third game, at 4 minutes, JDG secured the Tyrant and invaded the jungle to kill Nakoruru. At 6 minutes, a one-for-one trade happened in the jungle, JDG destroyed the mid outer turret and stole the red buff. At 8 minutes, after killing Nakoruru, JDG invaded the red jungle and took the Tyrant. At 10 minutes, both teams exchanged dragons, but JDG killed Kongkong’er. At 11 minutes, JDG destroyed the mid inner turret, then killed two more enemies, using the numerical advantage to push into the crystal and claim the next victory.

eStar hesitated too much during the fight around 4 minutes. While half-fighting the Lord, they tried to return to defend blue buff, which was then stolen, and Nakoruru gave away first blood. This was a heavy blow for eStar; once the jungle core loses rhythm, the whole team’s tempo is severely restricted, and their jungle gets repeatedly invaded. In the end, eStar couldn’t withstand the constant harassment and pressure, with JDG fully controlling the pace.

In the final match, although at the 10-minute dragon fight both teams had nearly equal economy, a closer look at minion waves showed JDG handled them much better than eStar. JDG used the dragon fight to force eStar’s positioning, with Eileen and Shield Mountain pushing together, Zhu Bajie holding key spots, and Ying and Nuwa looking for opportunities to clean up. Later, Qingrong’s Nuwa posed a huge threat to eStar, with strong damage and crowd control making it hard for eStar to respond. Conversely, eStar’s Dream Qi on the side lane failed to perform, and Su Lie’s initiation didn’t have the expected impact.

With a 3-2 score, JDG narrowly defeated eStar in the opening match, securing a strong start!

If the game is on the latest patch, does the reworked Li Xin have a chance to return to KPL? Regardless of whether Li Xin returns, he is currently very strong in ranked matches! Li Xin has two main forms: Light Xin and Dark Xin, both with high fault tolerance.

Light Xin form:Exceptional teamfight capabilities, extremely reliable defense, and high burst damage with a skill combo that can often instantly eliminate enemy backlines, making him a formidable presence in teamfights.

Dark Xin form:Fast at clearing waves and highly mobile, excellent at split pushing and tower pressure. When he occupies a side lane alone, enemies must send someone to defend, indirectly giving teammates time to farm and secure objectives. Both forms have extended super armor durations, making them hard to crowd control, combined with good mobility for aggressive plays or tactical retreats. In season S42, he’s highly recommended as a main hero to master, easily climbing to King rank once proficient.