Foreword: The S16 season has officially begun, and most players are likely keeping an eye on the recent matchups. The MSI is over, and a brief break has arrived. The competition schedule ahead is very packed. The EWC global showdown is imminent, with several LPL teams already heading to the competition site. After losing the championship, a comment from Guan Zeyuan drew widespread ridicule from players across the internet. He publicly questioned the double-elimination format, even suggesting that the final winner should be given a chance to fight back. To be honest, such an adjustment seems a bit sore; it would be better to simply acknowledge HLE's championship.

LPL's Guan Zeyuan questions double-elimination being unfair to BLG.

I believe most players are quite interested in MSI. As one of the world's premier events, every year's MSI attracts global attention. This year's MSI also introduced many format adjustments, and the play-in stage sparked a lot of discussion. In the end, HLE fought back from the losers' bracket to reach the finals and successfully avenged themselves against BLG to claim the title. This script certainly thrilled many Korean fans, but it also left some LPL players regretting it, because under the old rules, BLG would have already won the championship.

After the match, LPL official caster Guan Zeyuan posted a long statement, which immediately drew mockery from netizens. Many even commented that it seemed like he couldn't accept the loss.

I think that in the double-elimination format, having the team from the losers' bracket win two BO5s against the winners' bracket champion is the most fitting way to define the tournament—like in fighting games. However, League of Legends matches take a long time, and it's impossible to play two BO5s in one day. If split over two days, if the winners' bracket team wins on the first day, the second day's match becomes meaningless. Tickets could be sold for two days; if the losers' bracket team wins on the first day, then a second BO5 is played for the title. If the winners' bracket team wins on the first day, the second day's BO5 could be for entertainment or simply for revenge.

Since MSI adopted the double-elimination format, this is the only time the champion came from the losers' bracket; in the other three years, the winners' bracket team emerged victorious. It seems his suggestion does have a sour-grapes feel. Of course, that's how double-elimination works: the winners' bracket has no room for error, and one loss means losing the championship. The officials could indeed consider this format, but it would extend the tournament schedule. It's unlikely to change for future competitions. If BLG had won the championship, Guan Zeyuan probably wouldn't have come up with such a whimsical idea.

LPL fans and teams must immediately move past the shadow of defeat. The EWC is about to start, with three LPL teams participating: BLG, AL, and JDG. The LCK has four teams: GEN, HLE, T1, and DK. If they can defeat the LCK teams in this event, it would be a fine revenge for MSI. The fear is that, like last season, losing two consecutive world-class events could drain the entire region's morale.

Zai Jian believes

Guan Zeyuan's idea is not without merit. From the perspective of the double-elimination system, teams that win consecutively have no real advantage—if they lose just one final match, they get nothing. If the rules were truly refined, the last two teams should indeed play two BO5s to maximize fairness, giving the final winner a chance to lose once. Of course, this suggestion applies not only to this MSI but also to previous world championships—all winners' bracket teams that failed to win the title faced a natural disadvantage.

What do you, the audience, think about this matter?