Preface: The S15 season matches have officially started, and most players have been paying close attention to the recent showdowns. Even though the World Championship is yet to take place, world-level battles have begun, with LPL and LDL teams participating. In recent games, teams from both premier and secondary leagues have been thoroughly suppressed by LCK. Especially in the recent regional qualifiers, after two rounds, LPL teams suffered a complete loss record, while in the secondary league clashes, LCK teams have already secured first place in all groups. This clearly shows the growing gap between LPL and LCK, essentially reflecting a preview of the S15 World Championship.

LPL and LDL have been completely swept by LCK.

Most players have been very attentive to the recent matches. Over the past few years, the league organizers have introduced many new competitions to maximize excitement. Recently, the clashes between Chinese and Korean teams have sparked widespread discussion among fans. Not only top-tier teams but also secondary league teams have faced off, resulting in much frustration for many viewers. Against LCK teams, whether strong or weak, they have been easily overwhelmed, struggling even to secure small victories. Many fans, after watching these confrontations, jokingly say that the S15 season’s outcome is already decided, and LPL’s fate is sealed.

First, let's look at the recent Asian Challenger Series results. T1's second team faced BLG's second team and comfortably swept them 2-0. Led by AD carry Smash, T1's second team seemed unstoppable. Smash might be considered overpowered since he had many impressive performances in LCK matches before, but due to immense pressure, he chose to return to the secondary league. After this match, LCK teams have basically dominated this Challenger competition. The first place in groups A and B are already taken by Korean teams, and after T1's second team won, they secured first place in the third group as well. This means Korean teams have locked in three playoff spots.

Next is the much-discussed regional qualifiers. In just two days of matches, both LPL teams were swept without winning a single game. DK defeated JDG 2-0, and BFX crushed NIP 2-0. After several rounds, LPL teams showed no ability to respond. In a post-match interview, JDG’s mid-laner Scout even said that without time to practice, their form would only get worse. It’s clear now that LPL is really declining, and the gap with LCK is widening. Players don't seem to be taking the World Championship seriously anymore.

Whether it’s second teams or main rosters, they have all been utterly crushed by LCK. It’s almost certain that the S15 World Championship will follow this trend. Unless something unexpected happens, LCK's Gen.G and HLE teams will likely have an easy path, and KT is basically a rookie at Worlds. T1’s fate depends on their first-round match against IG; if they win, the rest of their path should be smoother. LPL teams face a tough challenge; meta changes have extended AL’s lane swap strategy, while BLG and TES players depend heavily on their form, and both teams have underperformed in this year’s world-level matches.

Goodbye thoughts.

Although the true S15 World Championship hasn’t started yet, LCK has already thoroughly outperformed LPL in recent matches. This essentially highlights the huge ecosystem gap between the two regions. Whether it’s youth training teams or mid-tier squads, there is a clear divide, and the gap is even more pronounced among top teams. It feels like LPL and LCK used to be neck-and-neck, but now it’s truly a case of one region dominating.

What do you, the viewers, think about this situation?