The Current Situation of the World Championship Reigning Champion and the Decline of LPL
Since EDG won the World Championship in 2021, the representatives from the LPL have continuously faced defeats against LCK teams, thus tarnishing the prestige of this prestigious title. If we only look at the last 1-2 seasons, it might be reasonable for fans to use the performance of these teams to explain this decline. However, with LPL having three consecutive failures at the World Championship (2022-2024), the reasons for this “decline” are much more profound. According to the analysis from the World Championship Champion 2018 – Ning, the reason for this situation lies in the LPL’s current lack of star players.
“The current professional League of Legends environment in LPL makes the teams too complacent, especially the newcomers. When I was still a player, I only had one path to pursue, which was to earn a title. If I didn’t win a title, I wouldn’t have anything at all, and I would waste my years. Now, if teams can’t win the championship or achieve good results, they often have too many ways to survive. The result is that we (the LPL region) hardly have any star players emerging anymore. The closest are Knight and Bin, and they have been the stars for the past 4-5 years,” Ning shared during a live broadcast.
LPL Fans Also Share Concerns about the World Championship Champion
As soon as Ning’s remarks were widely shared, they received considerable sympathy from the LPL audience. The reason is quite understandable, as the top teams in LPL in recent years have rarely produced a star player who stands out and attracts attention. Additionally, the teams are seen as the new hope for LPL in the 2025 season – IG is also considered one of the names that have established themselves but still lacks a standout talent.
In recent years, the LPL region has yet to produce any stars that can truly shine on the global stage. Players once regarded as “top talents” like Knight and Bin have now become established stars, while the LPL region shows no signs of nurturing new talent. Many hopes have been placed on the Sheer team from JDG, but this team has also struggled in the recently concluded 2024 season and has parted ways with its roster.
The more pressing concern for LPL is that the LCK region continues to excel with its ability to cultivate talent. Alongside the successful legacy of T1, teams like DK and Gen.G are also striving to integrate quality players, helping the LCK consistently develop in an upward trajectory. If LPL cannot resolve its talent cultivation issues, the chances of LCK representatives overshadowing them in major tournaments like MSI or the World Championship in the future will remain a significant threat.
