Foreword: The S16 season has officially begun. Most players are likely following the recent matches, and the third stage in the LPL is highly competitive. After several weeks of matches, the first eliminated team in the LPL this season has emerged; unexpectedly, LNG became the first to be eliminated, suffering consecutive defeats in the third stage with a 0-4 record, leaving no chance for a comeback. The second round against IG sealed their fate in the third stage. It seems TheShy was too ruthless—although he was solo-killed in the first game, his Rumble in the second game truly set the whole map ablaze.

The first LPL team confirmed to be eliminated

Most players are likely following the recent competitions, as all major regions are engaged in intense third-stage battles. The LPL is also quite exciting, with no undefeated teams but two winless ones: EDG and LNG have yet to secure their first victory in the third stage. The most unfortunate is LNG, which, as a sponsor of the LPL, invests heavily in transfers every year. However, this season, without acquiring top players, they plummeted directly into the "rebirth" group and even ended their third-stage campaign prematurely.

This second match against IG was not exciting at all; the only highlight was LNG's top laner solo-killing TheShy's Olaf. In the first game, just two minutes in, Sheer's K'Sante executed a smooth combo with Q-Flash to secure first blood by solo-killing TheShy's Olaf. It seemed TheShy was a bit hesitant to use Flash—if he had wanted to escape, he probably wouldn't have been killed. However, in the subsequent team fights, Olaf became unstoppable, especially in the 16-minute skirmish where he took on multiple enemies, took down the "Wolf Dog" (likely referring to a champion), and escaped with a sliver of health. The first game ended in just 35 minutes. LNG had a slight laning economic lead early on, but their team fights in the later stage were not on the same level.

In the second game, IG invaded the jungle again and easily secured first blood on Shen. Then, skirmishes over dragons allowed IG to snowball their advantage. Rookie's Ahri made some impressive plays, nearly getting a double kill 1v2. Ultimately, IG ended the game with a team fight at 30 minutes. Many netizens joked that Rookie was afraid of winning too quickly and having to give an interview, so he intentionally threw a few times later. After this match, LNG became the first team eliminated from the LPL, achieving a stable 1-8 record in small games, and as of now, they have not won a single match.

LNG currently has a series record of 0-4, with two BO3s remaining. Even if they win both, they would finish at 2-4, which is insufficient to surpass NIP's 3-0 or IG's 3-1. Their theoretical chance of advancing is already zero. The focus now is on WBG's performance. With a 1-2 record, if they can defeat NIP in their upcoming matches, they still have a good chance to compete in the "Knight's Path" (likely a playoff qualifier). However, it seems that the all-Chinese dream team that has been marketed all year might really be finished.

In my opinion

No one expected LNG to become the first team eliminated in this stage. As a sponsor of the LPL, they invest heavily every year. It can only be said that their roster composition this time is indeed lacking. Top laner Sheer, jungler Weiwei, mid laner Nia, AD 1xn, support Ycx—these players can now enter a six-month break. Hopefully, in the next transfer window, they can acquire some more suitable players.

What do you, dear viewers, think about this?