Introduction: The S15 season is now underway, and most players have been paying attention to the recent clashes. The matches across the major regions, particularly in the LPL, have been extremely intense. As the third phase of the regular season draws to a close, TES has become the first team in the LPL to clinch a playoff berth, with consistently strong results. Previously, after the match between BLG and IG ended, it sparked widespread discussion online. IG’s victory was a huge morale boost and thrilled their fans, but it left BLG fans dissatisfied. To make matters worse, the LPL official didn’t release the TOP5 plays for this match—something that has rarely happened before. Many people joked that personal emotions were brought into professional duties.

LPL’s official halt on IG and BLG’s TOP5 plays

Most players are quite familiar with the LPL, which was once a top-tier region in the world. In recent years, the LPL has developed rapidly but also experienced significant ups and downs—winning world championships but also facing many setbacks. This season, the LPL’s global results have been mediocre, dropping to the fourth region in the first phase. However, the second phase featured some impressive matches, with AL’s championship team able to hold their own against LCK squads. The only regret is that whenever AL reached a deciding game, they would inevitably encounter issues and collapse in the end.

As the regular season progresses, the LPL’s standings have become clearer. TES has once again claimed the top spot and is the first team in the region to secure a playoff place. BLG and IG are close behind, and both have delivered strong performances. However, after their match concluded, a major controversy erupted, with fans exchanging heated words. IG was praised for their win, while BLG became the subject of increasing ridicule. Even the LPL official account appeared to take sides, as the highlight TOP5 plays from the BLG vs IG match were never published.

Fans who follow the LPL know that after each day’s matches, the official account typically releases the TOP5 plays the following day, allowing fans to relive the best moments—a tradition that has rarely been broken. However, after the IG vs BLG match, no such highlight reel was posted, despite the match being highly entertaining. Attentive fans noticed this and checked the schedule: since the third phase started on July 19, only August 18 lacked a TOP5 post, meaning the highlights for August 19 were missing an entire day’s recap.

The LPL officials later issued an apology, stating that due to a scheduling oversight within the team, the TOP5 highlights for August 18 were not posted as planned. They offered sincere apologies to the affected clubs, players, and fans. But this seems to be more than just a matter of timing—it feels like there was never any intention to publish it at all. If the highlights weren’t posted on the 19th, they should have appeared on the 20th, but instead, the 20th’s post covered only the 19th, skipping the 18th entirely. Many fans joked about personal feelings interfering with work, speculating that BLG fans might have been behind the uproar.

Personal thoughts

It’s hard to imagine even the LPL officials engaging in such behavior, which explains why fan culture is so pervasive in the region now. While there’s a desire to emulate traditional sports, esports in the LPL may still have a long way to go. Hopefully, the LPL officials will learn from this incident. Since IG was assembled with significant investment during the transfer window, why not give them the support they deserve?

What do you all think about this situation?