Preface: The S16 season has officially started, and the majority of players have been paying attention to the LCK region’s recent clashes. The thrilling preseason opening has drawn extensive chatter across the player community. Particularly their lively matchups and group face-offs. As expected, led by Faker, the mid-lane squad defended their championship, clinching the crown of this melee once more. The funniest part was probably mid-laner Ucal; although his Kassadin nearly caused the team to lose, his signature Cristiano Ronaldo celebration after winning was absolutely top-notch, even making Chovy beside him feel awkward, who applauded him enthusiastically. In the interview, Chovy also talked about his military service and gave a loyal salute.

Chovy’s championship salute of loyalty

Most players are quite interested in the LCK region, which has undergone many changes over the past few years. After winning multiple world championships consecutively, they began to ease up on competition, making significant adjustments in the first split. While the LPL region maintains high-intensity serious matches, LCK focused on entertainment prior to the games to maximize viewer enjoyment. This time, the player free-for-all segment attracted much attention, especially since every mid-laner on the team is very strong, notably Faker and Chovy, whose performances were very consistent in this showdown.

After consecutively defeating the jungle and top-lane teams, the mid-lane team faced off against the AD carry team in the final match. In this entertainment match, mid-laner Ucal’s performance fluctuated wildly; his Kassadin became a clear weak point, failing to make any impact. Instead, top-laner Faker and AD carry Chovy delivered a flawless performance, particularly Chovy’s 15-8 Kai’Sa was outstanding. Many players joked that even though it was an entertainment match, why did it still have moments like desperate plays from Lee Sang-hyeok? People expected to tease Ucal, but his celebration after winning earned praise from all fans.

Right after winning the championship, Ucal jumped onto the table and performed a Cristiano Ronaldo celebration, creating a hilariously awkward moment. The atmosphere at the venue instantly peaked. The funniest reaction was probably Chovy’s; standing beside him, looking very embarrassed, tilting his head and applauding, a gesture so expressive it could be made into an animated GIF. It seemed Chovy’s pupils were shaking, unsure what to say. During the post-match interview, the host brought up Chovy’s military service, showing a loyal salute as a private. Of course, Chovy himself didn’t want to recall that month, saying he remembered nothing.

The first split of the LCK is about to start soon. Although the opening match lacked excitement, the third day’s games will be very intense, featuring the second encounter between HLE and T1. In the previous K Cup final, it felt like both teams weren’t playing seriously, especially HLE. True to LCK’s usual style, after falling behind, they didn’t avoid fights to farm but repeatedly engaged T1 to try and turn things around. The result was a growing disadvantage and a disappointing loss of the K Cup championship. Hopefully, both teams can adjust their form well in the coming days.

Goodbye, Renzhi

Before the match, it was expected that the mid-lane team would win the championship relatively easily, and the final result was quite predictable. The only variable was Ucal, whose mindset was surprisingly stable. Even though his Kassadin performed poorly, he could still calmly celebrate after the victory without embarrassment. It seems the king of playful antics exists in the LCK region too. I just want to say, everyone should save that clip of Chovy clapping and giving a thumbs up — both his expression and gesture perfectly capture the awkwardness.

Dear viewers, what are your thoughts on this matter?