Since IG's management chose to part ways with champion jungler jiejie, a large number of his fans have been deeply disappointed, accusing IG of being heartless. Jiejie had the most MVPs on the team in the second split, and many IG fans lamented his exit. IG currently has a strong world championship standing; if jiejie had stayed, IG would probably have taken him to Worlds. There was even a chance for jiejie to start as a substitute for wei. (Last year, wei was replaced by xun during Worlds while at BLG.)

Of course, after jiejie left, many fans hoped he would make a triumphant return to prove IG wrong. However, what disappointed many jiejie supporters was that after transferring to FPX, jiejie's value dropped significantly. Many viewers joked that they expected jiejie to prove his strength at FPX, but instead, his performance seemed to justify IG management’s decision. In the BO5 series against NIP, jiejie became the team's weakest link.

When playing jungle carry champions, jiejie’s slow early jungle clear allowed opponents to invade repeatedly. When playing tempo heroes, he neither set the pace early nor dared to initiate fights mid-to-late game. Especially with jungle champions like Skarner and Poppy, many FPX fans were frustrated. In these matches, FPX had a huge advantage, but jiejie hesitated to start teamfights, causing NIP to always take the initiative in engagements. Many IG fans joked that coach Dan Shen’s keen eye immediately spotted the team's biggest internal problem. Previously, IG’s poor teamfight performance was blamed either on support Meiko or jungler jiejie’s reluctance to lead fights.

Besides clearing IG management’s name, jiejie was publicly “called out” by LDL jungler Naiyou. During a post-match interview with NIP, the host asked Naiyou if he felt pressured facing a world champion jungler and how he managed to invade jiejie’s jungle every game. Naiyou candidly admitted that jiejie doesn’t know how to play jungle carry champions well, so he wasn’t afraid and just invaded without hesitation, as jiejie couldn’t stop him. This statement shocked many jiejie fans, who now worry about his future job prospects next year.

jiejie posted a response after the match.

After FPX lost to NIP and due to low league points, FPX failed to qualify for the upcoming LPL playoffs and the regional qualifiers. This means FPX will be the first team from the Dengfeng group to miss Worlds. As a member of FPX, jiejie also responded to the loss, saying this defeat is hard for him to accept. He expressed gratitude to FPX for giving him a chance to return to the stage and stated he will continue to improve, hoping for a better outcome next year.

Honestly, jiejie’s league performance these past few years hasn’t been ideal. He missed Worlds with EDG, was cut by IG’s management after joining them, and now with FPX, he hasn’t won a single match. Which team will jiejie join next year? Unlike jiejie’s regretful feelings, NIP’s mid laner DOINB posted after winning that the match felt great. Many DOINB fans celebrated with champagne, as NIP’s victory over Dengfeng’s team was historic. This year has been DOINB’s best performance, and many fans hope he can advance to Worlds.

Conclusion

After watching FPX’s match, I feel IG coach Dan Shen really has something special. Of course, changing junglers every year has become a “tradition” for Dan Shen. What do you think—if jiejie hadn’t left IG, would his reputation have been better? Now that NIP has beaten FPX, they will prepare for the LPL playoffs. Which of the top four LPL teams do you think will pick NIP? I feel NIP might be the weakest team in the playoffs.