Starting with Zaozi Ge, a dream lineup

Chapter 195 Huge Changes! An Unfamiliar Asian Games!
As arranged by the organizers, RNG will not have any matches today; their next group stage match will be tomorrow.

On the contrary, the FNC players will have to play another group stage match here this afternoon.

"Wow, that's awesome, puppy! This championship skin is really great. I want to use my Syndra in the next match too."

As soon as he finished playing and returned to the lounge to pack his things, Xiao Hu said in a carefree manner.

"This wave of Vayne skins for puppies is going to be a huge hit. The feel of this skin is amazing, especially the sound of the basic attack; it's so satisfying."

"Treat me to a meal! You absolutely have to treat me! You idiot, you picked Vayne just to promote the skin? I wish I had your business acumen!"

Xiangguo suddenly realized and said.

He could have picked Jarvan IV, but he chose Olaf instead to fit the team composition.

Surrounded by people urging him to go out and have a meal in Paris, Li Luo waved his hands repeatedly.

"Hey, stop messing around. Once we win the MSI championship, you can eat whatever you want, including the premium steak that Xiangguo wanted. We'll arrange it for you too."

"Brother Dog, I want one too!"

Xiao Tian, ​​who was sitting on the sofa in the back, also stood up, looking like he wanted a share.

"FNC is so weak right now. Their team relies on just their mid, jungle, and ADC. Their top laner is really sleepwalking."

Letme interjected.

"The European and American teams are still quite strong, don't underestimate them, especially G2, the team that didn't come; they have a lot of tricks up their sleeves."

Seeing that everyone was a bit complacent, Li Luo couldn't help but say a few words.

The group was joking around in the training room when suddenly the door squeaked open.

The MSI schedule was quite tight this year, and no one was in the mood to go out and have fun. So, people who used to stay at the same hotel and chat would not see each other much this year.

When they saw that it was Ou Cheng who opened the door, the people sitting in the lounge all laughed.

Rekkles is a familiar face in the LPL. Whether you've seen him in person or not, you've always seen him on screen, so there's no sense of unfamiliarity when you meet him in person.

"Hi, Uzi, long time no see, still so strong!"

The literal meaning of "strong" is robust, but in this context it's a meme often used by European and American teams on Twitter, generally referring to a more aggressive playing style.

After all, they had come to Europe and America. As the host, even though the two teams had lost the game, it was understandable that Ou Cheng would come to visit.

After some conversation, with Li Luo acting as translator, the group got along quite well.

After all, having won the S7 championship, even Rekkles wouldn't dare to be arrogant in front of a few people.

RNG is now a team that can be on par with FNC. As a team with a championship, the members spoke very casually and warmly.

Moreover, it's understandable that they couldn't beat RNG, given that RNG's strength is now widely recognized.

But Ou Cheng is confident of winning all the matches that follow.

"Who's going to the Asian Games"

As they were talking, Ou Cheng suddenly blurted out a question that startled Li Luo.

When the others saw that Li Luo had stopped translating, they all turned their attention to him.

"The Asian Games?"

Ou Cheng nodded and started chattering about how he had been selected for the national team and about his teammates.

"What? What Asian Games?"

Xiao Ming asked in confusion.

Although a long time ago, esports bigwigs in the industry revealed that esports competitions, including League of Legends and a series of other games, need to register for competitions such as the Olympics and the Asian Games.

But since they were all people in the industry, no one took it seriously.

I have a pretty good idea of ​​what I'm doing.

Esports sounds nice, but to put it bluntly, it's just playing games.

Moreover, given the current domestic environment and the general perception of esports among middle-aged and elderly people, no one has any hope for this kind of competition.

But as Ou Cheng spoke more and more, although the others couldn't understand him, they were able to guess the meaning fairly accurately based on a few key words.

Is LoL going to be included in the Asian Games?
"Are you really going to qualify for the Asian Games? Are you sure?"

Ou Cheng was stunned by the reactions of the group.
"Isn't that right? According to the timeline, you guys should have been notified by now, Uzi. I thought you had already been selected. I thought you already knew."

Hearing Ou Cheng's words, Li Luo also scratched his head.

He did know that, but the S8 tournament schedule was quite tight, and for a moment, he forgot that the Asian Games would be held soon after MSI.

However, the Asian Games weren't particularly exciting. In my previous life, the games I played at the Asian Games included some mobile games.

With Honor of Kings being included in the Asian Games, netizens jokingly say it's just a capital exchange, a way to help esports enhance its imagination and make money in disguise.

"And I heard it's quite a formal event; only our two games, LOL and Dota, were selected this time."

"Two models?"

"Isn't there Hearthstone too?"

"what?"

Seeing Ou Cheng's bewildered face, Li Luo was also stunned.

In the past, the Asian Games e-sports competition featured more than twenty games; in this life, only Dota and LoL remain.

How can it be?

Are the investors behind other games unable to afford the funding?
Rekkles only knew that Faker had been selected for the national team, but he didn't know much about the specifics. After chatting for a short time, it was time for RNG to leave, so they had to reschedule for a post-MSI discussion.

We took a bus out of the venue and back to our hotel.

The group began their training session, but unlike in the past, Li Luo was alright, while the others, including the two substitutes, Xiao Tian and Xiao Dongbei, seemed a bit distracted.

After the scrimmages with Edg were hastily concluded, the team's training for the day came to an end.

Seeing Xiao Hu's anxious and uncertain expression, Li Luo couldn't help but chuckle.

"Jian Zihao, what are you laughing at? Do you think LoL is really going to be included in the Asian Games? That's an international tournament! Winning it means you're an international champion! My god, even the World Championship can't compare!"

Having won the S7 championship, Xiaohu had already tasted the sweetness of victory. How could he remain calm upon hearing about the Asian Games?

If they are selected, the bot laner will definitely be decided beforehand, but the mid laner might not be.

To represent the national team at the Asian Games, only Chinese athletes are eligible.

But here is the problem.

As a veteran mid-laner, Xiye's popularity is evident in the fact that WE's performance in S8 was not as good as RNG's. He was able to go to the All-Star event in S7.

If they implement the same rules as the All-Star game, like only two players per team, then with RNG going bot lane, he definitely won't be able to go. "Where's Uzi? Don't you have connections over there? Didn't you hear anything?"

Given Uzi's popularity and influence in the esports world, coupled with his status as a Chinese player, he would definitely be a contender if League of Legends were to be included in the Asian Games.

He was the only candidate to become the ADC in the bottom lane for the national team.

This isn't an All-Star game; it's a genuine national competition.

"Wait, let me ask Tencent Esports. Don't rush things, okay? Focus on doing well at MSI first, then you'll have a better chance of making it to the national team."

After thinking about it, Li Luo was also very curious about the reform of the World Asian Games. After going through the puppy's memories and finding that there were indeed acquaintances, Li Luo agreed.

After taking the phone to the next room, the RNG members became even more excited.

Even if they're not considered "little pinks" (a derogatory term for young, nationalistic Chinese netizens), once something is related to the country, a sense of collective honor immediately arises.

The Asian Games, also known as the Asian Games, is the largest multi-sport event in Asia, recognized internationally. It is the largest and highest-level multi-sport event in Asia.

This is the second most influential competition in Asia after the Olympics. It is hosted by the Olympic Council of Asia and is a top-level competition stage for athletes from all over Asia. Every time it is held, it attracts enthusiastic participation from the sports world.

To put it more bluntly, the only difference between the Olympics and the Asian Games is the region they target; the Asian Games are primarily aimed at the Asian region.

This is precisely why Ou Cheng is envious; European and American teams have no way to participate in Asian Games events.

The venue for the event is also determined by a vote of the Asian Olympic Council, and the venue rotates among the various host countries.

In 2018, four years after 2014, the 18th Asian Games will be held in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia!
The news that esports will be included in the Asian Games has not yet been released. If it is true, it will immediately cause an unprecedented upheaval in the esports industry.

This is not just a competition or an honor, but a sign that others recognize the industry.

Furthermore, if what Rekkles said is true, and only Dota and LoL were selected this time, then it's not impossible for them to be selected for the Olympics.

"If that's true, I wonder if they'll arrange for the team with the best record to play, or if they'll have a player selection vote!"

Seeing that Letme, who is usually very calm, was nervous, the others felt a little relieved.

"I don't know, but if it's based on record, then if we're selected, wouldn't we all be national athletes from now on!"

"Am I an Asian Games athlete?"

Li Luo hadn't returned yet, and the group in the training room started daydreaming, imagining themselves winning the Asian Games championship, returning home in glory, and bringing honor to their ancestors.

It's understandable why everyone was so excited.

Before winning the S7 championship, Xiaohu was not recognized by his relatives and friends. But if he could win the Asian Games championship, at least he could hold his head high in front of others.

An event comparable to the Olympic Games!

This is an unprecedented stage, a stage no less impressive than the Bird's Nest stadium.

Of course, he also carries more honor and responsibility. Choosing him means putting in ten or even a hundred times more effort than others.

"If we get selected, our bot lane is practically guaranteed a spot. It'll be hard to find anyone in China who can rival our bot lane."

Xiangguo said sourly, "Although I don't have any big dreams, who wouldn't want to participate in this kind of competition?"

The atmosphere instantly fell silent.

On the other hand, Li Luo didn't contact anyone else, but directly called the person in charge of Tencent Esports Asia.

As one of the few world-class players in the LPL, the ID Uzi represents more than just a player; it is a symbol of the region.

"Mr. Liu, are you busy? Oh? I'm fine. I just heard about the Asian Games, yes, yes, it's about FNC's ADC player. He's the one who told me."

"Yes, you know what? This is what we professional players have been waiting for."

Li Luo got straight to the point right away.

There's no need to hide or subtly hint at this; if it exists, it exists; if it doesn't, it doesn't.

Moreover, he was 100% certain that LoL would be selected for the Asian Games.

The only thing that's interesting now is why there are only these two games this time, and why they seem to be playing such a formal game.

"Yes, puppy, the higher-ups didn't say much this time, but they've already added League of Legends to the competition list. It was only approved a few days ago. I was thinking of having you guys play in MSI first."

Mr. Liu spoke very politely, and even as the current owner of RNG, he didn't dare to put on airs with this player.

"In a few days, the higher-ups should send the head of the team down. But don't worry, this person in charge is only in charge of coordinating personnel deployment. The specific details of the competition and the selection of personnel will all be handled by Tencent Esports."

"If your RNG team can win the MSI championship, they will have a very good chance."

As someone who can be in charge of an Asian region, Mr. Liu is bound to be a shrewd and astute person. At this moment, he naturally understood the meaning behind the phone call.

"Haha, thank you for your kind words, Mr. Liu. But there's something else. Didn't you say that over twenty games would be selected this time? I heard it's only League of Legends and Dota."

Hearing Li Luo's words, President Liu on the other side was also stunned. After carefully searching his memory, he said with a wry smile.

"Hey puppy, where did you get this information? The Asian Games aren't child's play. Think about how many events there are in track and field. How could they possibly put twenty-odd games on such a big competition?"

"If it weren't for the physical fitness regulations we introduced before the Lunar New Year, which Dota 2 followed suit, we might only have League of Legends teams selected now."

"Hey, stop spreading rumors. Focus on preparing for the competition. Once the official documents come through in a few days, I'll have someone let you know first, okay?"

"Okay, thank you, Mr. Liu."

After hanging up the phone, Li Luo stared at the screen, lost in thought.

Mr. Liu's words had a hidden meaning, but they were entirely logical.

The Asian Games are no child's play. As an official competition, how could you possibly include more than twenty games at once?

The Asian Games in my past life did something strange. It seemed to encompass the name of the Asian Games, but it was actually just like some events where singers are invited to perform on stage before the start of the event. It was just a performance to add to the excitement.

To be more precise, it's just an entertainment event disguised as an international competition.

This is why many critics of the Asian Games later criticized it for lacking substance.

This Asian Games also completely tore away the fig leaf of esports. The unofficial competition made more uninformed members of society have prejudices against esports.

But now, he has extracted the key words from Mr. Liu's words: "Physical Fitness Management Regulations" and "Dota imitation".

The primary purpose of sporting events is to push the limits.

The Olympic motto is also Faster, Higher, Stronger.

Traditional esports involves high-intensity training that pushes the body to its limits, but the results are extremely inconsistent.

Just like bodybuilding, it has never been considered highbrow.

What's missing is a standardized management system, so that the Olympic Council, which conducts the audits, can see hope for the future.

This week is exam week, so there's less time and updates will be late. Please forgive me, dear readers.



(End of this chapter)