Introduction: The S15 season competition has officially started. Most players have been paying attention to the recent confrontations. The major regions’ competitions are approaching their conclusions, and the playoffs are about to kick off. For many fans, the main focus is the S15 World Championship. This time, the LPL region is hosting Worlds on home soil, the first time since the S7 season. That year’s event was a blow to the LPL region, with the Bird’s Nest LCK finals scene and no LPL teams making it through. Recently, the official announcement confirmed that the S15 season will use version 25.20, marking the latest version ever implemented in an S-series event. The LPL region won’t update until October 9, while the tournament starts on the 14th. If there’s no time to study the version deeply, it might actually benefit the LPL region, since we prefer aggressive play.

S15 World Championship Version Confirmed

Most players are quite familiar with the World Championship, recognized as the highest honor in League of Legends. After each season’s playoffs conclude, the top teams from each major region gather in one location for nearly a month of fierce competition to determine the strongest team of the year and claim the World Championship title. Riot also designs exclusive limited skins for the winners. LPL fans are highly anticipating this S15 event. After many years, the LPL region is once again hosting Worlds locally, and many fans are eager to reclaim the pride lost during the S7 season.

Currently, the LPL regular season has concluded, and the eight playoff teams have been decided: TES, IG, BLG, AL, WBG, JDG, NIP, and EDG. Although there are four spots for Worlds, based on current form, TES, IG, and BLG are very likely to qualify for the global stage. The final spot will probably be contested between AL and WBG. Each year, the Worlds version is often criticized by fans, with many players joking it’s tailored for Faker. Recently, Riot officially announced the version for this year’s tournament.

The global S15 World Championship will use version 25.20, expected to launch on the Chinese server on October 9. The S15 Worlds play-in stage will begin on October 14. This timing is not ideal for the LPL region, as it marks the first time in S-series history that the official patch is released less than a week before the tournament starts. Additionally, it’s the first time the Worlds version is implemented in October; previous years used versions 18 or 19, but this time it jumps straight to 20. Many fans joked that the LPL region might be "punished" again after hearing this news.

Currently, our competition patch is quite outdated. The Rift Rivals used version 25.16, which is four updates behind the Worlds version. The entire competitive meta will definitely shift significantly. Honestly, the S7 Worlds patch was a huge advantage for the LPL region, favoring bottom lane with the "Incense Burner" meta synergizing well with LPL teams. Back then, it really felt like we could win the championship, but unfortunately, the semifinals teams were not matched well. If RNG had faced Samsung and WE had faced SKT, maybe the LPL’s first championship would have been an all-Chinese squad.

Farewell, Reconsidered

Who would have thought the Worlds version would be released so late this time? The LPL region will update less than a week before the intense play-in stage begins. Honestly, this setup might not be favorable for the LPL. Firstly, our coaching staff isn’t as strong as the LCK’s. Every year at Worlds, LPL teams learn from LCK’s advanced strategies, but with such a short preparation time, it will depend heavily on the players and coaches’ ability to adapt quickly.

Dear viewers, what are your thoughts on this situation?