After all the semifinals of the S15 World Championship concluded, many LPL fans lamented the end of an era for the LPL league. Since this S15 Worlds was hosted in China, many LPL fans hoped their teams could claim the world title to boost the league’s heat and popularity. Unfortunately, what disappointed many was that IG, the most popular LPL team, fell in the play-in round, the supposedly strongest all-Chinese LPL roster was knocked out in the round of 16, and the only championship hope, AL, narrowly lost to T1. TES, the last remaining LPL hope, was also crushed by T1.

Following TES’s heavy defeat to T1, many LPL fans began criticizing TES’s poor international performance, with some even hoping TES would skip future world events. After all, TES didn’t win a single game against LCK teams this year. Some viewers believe the main reason TES lost to T1 is because one player “prioritized loyalty to his country,” referring to TES’s core jungler Kanavi. Those who watched TES know Kanavi plays aggressively in domestic matches but makes many mistakes against LCK teams.

As Kanavi’s reputation outside TES declined sharply, many TES fans urged the management to dismiss jungler Kanavi. Numerous LPL fans also longed for an all-Chinese “super team” since Kanavi, as a Korean import, disappointed viewers greatly. However, what baffled many LPL fans was TES coach Hongmi’s post-match interview, where he actively defended Kanavi, stating TES’s loss to T1 was due to the entire team underperforming and not solely Kanavi’s fault.

Hongmi revealed that TES had excellent scrim results and form, but the pressure from LPL fans’ criticism weighed heavily on each player, which led to their crushing defeat by T1. Many fans joked that TES players have “small hearts,” meaning whenever they face strong opponents, they cannot perform at their best. Some also pointed out that only jungler Kanavi and support Hang seemed fragile, while TES’s top laner 369, mid laner Xiaonaiyou, and bot laner JKL showed no laning issues. In contrast, Kanavi and Hang’s actions often didn’t look professional.

Hongmi revealed plans to return to LCK next year

Besides addressing TES players’ form, Hongmi also admitted in the interview that his draft strategy was outclassed by T1’s coach, apologizing to TES players and LPL fans. He also mentioned during the interview that he plans to return to LCK next year if an LCK team offers him a coaching position, as it would allow him to be closer to his family. (Do you think any LCK team would actually want Hongmi?)

After Hongmi’s announcement about returning to LCK, many LPL fans mocked TES management. Both Hongmi and Kanavi were expensive signings during TES’s transfer window, yet Kanavi showed “small heart” in matches, and their top-paid coach was outdrafted by T1. Many joked TES might build an all-Chinese roster next year since their two most costly acquisitions turned out to be the biggest liabilities. (Do you think the jungler and coach positions were the weakest links in TES’s loss to T1?)

Conclusion

I feel Kanavi and Hongmi will likely return to LCK next year. LCK has indeed lacked strong junglers recently. If Kanavi replaces GEN’s jungler Canyon, GEN could truly become a dynasty in the league, as both Kanavi and Chovy are league veterans. However, whether Hongmi joins LCK remains uncertain, since only the LPL is willing to pay him a top salary, which the LCK likely won’t match.