After IG confirmed their advancement to the LPL playoffs, numerous IG supporters paid close attention to the playoff patch changes because the patch has a huge impact on teams. But with the release of the new LPL patch notes, many IG fans felt frustrated and accused Riot’s designers of singling out IG. In this patch, all AP junglers received buffs, while TheShy’s main champions, Gwen and Rumble, were weakened. This led many fans to worry that IG might struggle to adapt, especially since ROOKIE’s AD mid and WEI’s AP jungle haven’t earned MVP awards this season.

Even LPL champion coach Zhu Kai harshly criticized Riot’s designers during a livestream, claiming that the League of Legends developers changed the playoff patch deliberately because IG performed well in the regular season. Zhu Kai openly stated that the playoff patch does not fit IG’s style. He believes WEI’s AP jungle is ineffective and that ROOKIE doesn’t know how to play AD champions properly. According to Zhu Kai, ROOKIE’s poor AD mid performance over the past two years is why he missed the World Championship. Zhu Kai further guaranteed on stream that IG cannot win the LPL title relying solely on TheShy.

Despite Zhu Kai’s remarks, IG fans were not worried; in fact, many celebrated with champagne. They think Zhu Kai’s understanding of the game is very poor. In the first split, Zhu Kai admitted IG could easily beat TES, but IG was eliminated by TES at lightning speed in the first playoff round. In the second split, Zhu Kai criticized TheShy’s champion pool, yet IG still finished third in the LPL. Now that Zhu Kai doubts IG can win the championship, many fans are eagerly waiting for IG to claim the league title and prove him wrong.

JKL talks about retiring next year during livestream

Those following this year’s transfer news know that several insiders revealed JKL was originally planning to retire this year. However, TES management and Guo Hao persuaded him to continue playing for one more year. If TES performs poorly at Worlds, both JKL and manager Guo Hao are expected to leave TES, with JKL likely choosing retirement. Many LPL viewers agree with this speculation, as JKL often discusses his injuries and future plans during streams, and many fans feel sad about his possible retirement.

Recently, JKL personally responded to questions about retiring next year. He said he isn’t sure if he will retire but acknowledged that his injuries need rest. He suffers from serious back problems and tinnitus. When he visits doctors, they warn him not to stay up late or wear headphones for long, but he finds it impossible to follow these instructions. Now, he streams without headphones and only wears them during matches. However, the issue of staying up late remains unsolved since many training sessions and ranked games happen at night.

After JKL didn’t clearly confirm retirement plans, many viewers collectively sighed, calling him the last "young prodigy" in the LPL. The league lacks young rising stars, and much of the viewership centers on veteran IG players. If JKL retires next year, the LPL’s popularity might drop significantly. Although TES hasn’t done well internationally, they are still known for creating buzz. Many speculate that if JKL retires, TES will fall from a top-tier LPL team to a second- or even third-tier squad.

Conclusion

I feel like the LPL’s current hype relies heavily on veteran IG players. If THESHY, ROOKIE, and JKL all retire, do you think anyone will still watch the LPL? Of course, if TES achieves good results at Worlds, JKL might reconsider retiring. What kind of performance do you think JKL needs at this year’s Worlds to decide not to retire?