LOL: My talent is top-tier, my professional skills are unparalleled.

Chapter 625 The Battle Begins! The Fallen Phoenix! The Shameful Top 16!
Shortly after the esports jinx list was released.

The schedule for this year's World Championship has also been released by Riot Games.

After the qualifying rounds concluded, the group stage draw was officially finalized.

That evening, the official livestream room, which had been repeatedly playing LPL regular season matches, finally had new livestream content.

19: 00.

The official live stream started on time.

In an instant, countless spectators poured in!

"Come on, come on!"

"I don't ask for much, just avoid civil war!!"

"Dude, can't you use some common sense... How can there be an internal battle in the group stage?"

"Oh? Is that so? Then what's there to see?"

"Of course, we'll see which group is this year's 'group of death'!"

"..."

After a while.

On stage, two guests invited by Riot Games appeared.

First, there are four groups: A, B, C, and D.

In each group, one team is automatically selected as the number one seed from each of the four major regions.

Group A: G2; Group B: EDG; Group C: DWG; Group D: TL.

What needs to be drawn are only the other two positions within each group.

Soon, the guest pulled out the first team's slip of paper from the pouch and slowly unfolded it in front of the camera: GEN!

Next up is FNC!

The third, the fourth, the fifth...

As teams were drawn one by one, the hearts of viewers in the live broadcast rooms of each competition area gradually became pounding.

When the last signature is confirmed.

The final grouping results are displayed on the big screen!
Group A: G2, GEN, SN, MAD
Group B: EDG, PSG, RGE, FNC
Group C: DWG, TSM, JDG, Fly
Group D: TL, FPX, DRX, MCX
Results presented.

In an instant, the live stream chat was filled with '666'!
"Holy crap? EDG and JD Gaming are guaranteed a spot in the quarterfinals!"

"A divine touch, impressive!"

"I'm now very willing to believe that the official draw was not rigged (winking)."

"A perfect start!"

It's hard to say how viewers in other regions feel right now, but at least LPL viewers are definitely overjoyed!

Look at Group B and Group C!
They've practically guaranteed a spot in the quarterfinals!
of course.

When everyone looked back at Group A's situation, their feelings were inevitably complicated.

G2, GEN, SN!

The three teams in this group each have a more impressive name than the last.

They gathered together.

People even had a strange feeling that they were watching the peak competition of the three major regions.

"That was terrifying! Group A was way too deadly!"

"Indeed, this year has been extremely difficult for Suning."

"A true death squad!"

"SN, danger!"

"Wow, what if SN crashes out in the group stage...?"

In the World Championships, anything is possible.

Not to mention the group stage, which was at its most intense!
In fact, it's just as those comments said.

There are indeed people who are more panicked than those in the LPL.

On the LCK side, GEN fans were almost in despair.

"Shiba, why did I have to be put in the same group as those lunatics?!"

G2's fans felt a sense of despair.

"SN plus GEN, they're doomed. I think I can already see G2's fate!"

With the grouping results determined.

Teams from all regions have once again fallen into a frenzy of preparation.

All the teams participating in the S-series are training day and night, not daring to let their guard down in the slightest!
And various related discussions and posts began to flood the entire internet.

"Double Final Circle? Don't Be Too Optimistic! Let's Analyze the Probability of EDG and JD Gaming's Defeat."

The strongest team of death in history! Can SN break through and become the champion?

"Another overlooked group of death—Group D: A rational analysis of FPX's win rate against DRX."

"..."

The official competition is coming soon!
In an instant, the discussion surrounding the topic began to rise sharply across the global league community!

Support videos from various regions and teams are going viral online!

All sorts of eye-catching rumors began to circulate everywhere!
And with the final three days of preparation time gone by.

All 12 teams participating in the group stage have gathered here; the entire city of Shanghai is abuzz with excitement!
Various promotional banners and slogans related to the S-series tournament were displayed throughout the city!

Even walking down the street, you can almost smell the tension; a great battle is about to begin!

at last.

Amidst the anticipation of countless viewers worldwide and the eager waiting of various teams.

October 12th arrived as scheduled!

Shanghai, Pudong Football Stadium!

Early in the morning.

After getting ready and having breakfast, the EDG team boarded a bus and headed to the venue.

As the bus approached, the crowd grew denser, and a cacophony of noises began to fill the air.

The atmosphere surrounding the S-series tournament is gradually becoming more intense.

"call--"

Sitting in his seat, Ah Shui took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
Adjust facial expressions.

"Are you nervous?"

Beside him, Wang Yao asked leisurely.

"That's for sure."

Ah Shui pouted: "We were the first ones to go on stage, okay!"

Yes, the official schedule has already been released.

The first match of the group stage was played by EDG!

In such a globally watched competition, as the first team to appear, any mistake they make will be remembered by countless people!

Fortunately, Ah Shui was just saying it.

Having participated in so many major competitions, it's not like they're getting worse with each game.

soon.

The group entered the venue through the back door along with the bus.

They were greeted with a full-service makeup and rehearsal process.

Wait until the rehearsal is over.

Backstage, the four LPL teams had a brief meeting.

They didn't say much, just basically said 'See you in the finals'.

At 1 p.m. local time, as the venue opened ahead of schedule, countless spectators began to file in!

Live stream channels for each competition area have been connected!
In an instant, it seemed as if all the world's traffic had flooded into these live streaming rooms!

"Go, go, go!"

"It's finally here! LPL will win!!!"

"EDG! SN! FPX! JDG! Go EDG!!"

It's not just the official live stream.

Alliance streamers on major live streaming platforms subconsciously started rebroadcasting and skillfully changed their live stream titles to attract more viewers.

The noisy atmosphere not only filled the entire venue, but also the entire internet!

2 p.m.

boom!
A deafening, drum-like sound rang out.

The lights throughout the entire venue gradually went out.

Meanwhile, the large screen on the main stage lit up, displaying a huge Arabic numeral 10.

9, 8, 7...

The audience members cheered passionately in their respective languages!

"3!"

"2!..."

"1!"

boom--

A fist logo on a red background appears.

The soft and melodious background music gradually flowed throughout the venue.

Then, the entire large screen went black for a while.

When the lights came on again, the camera was now on the Pudong Football Stadium in Shanghai.

The melodious background music flowed through the venue.

Soon, the scene changes.

The host, Ren Dong, rang out, his voice incredibly passionate, as if all his emotions were exploding in an instant: "Ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome—No. 1!!!"

in the dark.

A figure wearing an EDG team uniform gradually became clearer until his face was seen—Wang Yao!

Suddenly, the previously quiet scene became agitated.

Kshine!

Since the World Championship three years ago, this ID has been like a rising sun, bringing a terrifying impact to the entire League of Legends community!

Just seeing this ID is enough to evoke countless famous scenes and make one's emotions unconsciously become excited!
on the screen.

Wang Yao walked slowly down the corridor, his eyes relaxed: "In the past three years, we have created too many miracles."

"We will continue this miracle as we return to the world stage once again."

As he spoke, Wang Yao walked to the end of the dimly lit corridor.

A blinding white light shone down from the steps in front.

What greets you is a vast sky!

In the background.

Images of EDG lifting the trophy at the Bird's Nest and Incheon Stadium come to mind.

The LPL commentators roared: "Pick up that trophy that belongs to you! We are the champions!!"

Then, memorable moments from the competition began to flash by.

Draven takes on five opponents on the high ground, Master Yi gets a pentakill in mid lane, and the Holy Monk breaks through the enemy formation with a single kick!

The camera turns again.

Wearing a blue and white team uniform, ShowMaker walked through the buildings, his gaze firm as he faced the camera.

"It is our duty to restore the glory of LCK!"

In the background.

The image of DWG lifting the S10 LCK Summer Championship Cup comes to mind.

Countless iconic moments created by ShowMaker flashed by.

The voices of the European and American commentators were filled with shock and excitement: "Oh! ShowMaker!! That turn around was incredible!!"

"DWG! They are on the path to their own dynasty!"

At this point, the background music reached its climax!

Caps, Wang Yao, Scout, ShowMaker, Chaowei... one after another, the images of well-known players flashed across the big screen.

finally.

The camera pans down.

A Summoner's Trophy, which attracts the attention of professional players from around the world, stands quietly.

boom--

The large screen went black. At the same time, the lights in the venue had already come on without anyone noticing.

The audience seemed to be still in shock and remained silent.

On the main stage, Yu Shuang, with blonde hair and wearing a rose-colored long dress, stepped onto the stage in high heels, a hint of excited smile on her face.

Welcome to Pudong!

The words fell.

In an instant, the atmosphere at the scene was ignited!

"Oh oh oh oh oh oh!!!"

Offstage, spectators from all over the world erupted in unprecedented enthusiasm!
Many foreign men were holding up banners, waving them wildly, their expressions enthusiastic.

Putting everything else aside, the enthusiasm for watching the game was absolutely at its peak.

"So."

Yu Shuang smiled, raised the microphone, and said without any preamble, "Now, let's welcome the 16 powerful teams from all over the world to the stage!"

Bang——Bang——

White smoke rose from both sides of the stage.

The captains of all 16 teams came up on stage together from back, each holding their own team flag!
Instantly, the atmosphere in the audience became even more heated!
Countless screams and whistles filled the air!
The shouts of each team's name almost filled the entire stadium!

"DWG!! DWG!!"

"EDG!! EDG!!"

"G2!! G2!!"

The scene became somewhat chaotic at one point.

If you didn't know better, you'd think this was a World Cup event...

Even the experienced Yu Shuang had to wait until the audience's noise subsided before she continued to raise the microphone:

"16 teams! They will engage in a fierce battle here, and only eight teams will be able to advance to the next stage!"

"And the ultimate goal of all teams—"

At this point, Yu Shuang stopped speaking and pointed to the stage behind her.

There, two large red curtains slowly opened, as if a grand play was about to begin.

Behind them was a podium, but of course, the podium wasn't important.

Most importantly, the trophy standing on the podium!
Summoner's Trophy!
That is the highest honor in the hearts of all professional players in the league around the world!

"I declare."

On stage, Yu Shuang excitedly raised her right hand, then waved it down:
"The 2020 League of Legends World Championship Group Stage is now underway!!"

The camera then returns to the LPL official live stream.

"Alright! This is Berlin, and the opening match of the S10 World Championship group stage is about to begin. I am your commentator, Guan Zeyuan."

"Hello everyone, I'm Ji De, the commentator for this match."

"I am the commentator Hao Kai."

The opening remarks have been read.

The three official commentators exchanged glances, and Guan Zeyuan coughed lightly before speaking first: "It seems that the first match today is EDG's match."

Remember to nod: "Yes, EDG is playing against RGE, the North American team, Rogue."

He added with a smile, "And that's not all. In fact, all four of our LPL teams have matches today."

"There are a lot of interesting things to watch in today's game."

"Absolutely, I believe the viewers in front of the screen are just as excited as we are right now."

"Shall we do a match prediction? I'll go first. I think LPL should win all their matches today! Your predictions can't be the same as mine."

"Hiss, you're cheating a bit. How are we supposed to predict if the results aren't the same?"

"The key point is that he even gave the standard answer!"

"..."

As they talked, the three of them seemed to get into a lively conversation, and once the topic was started, they couldn't stop.

After a long while, Guan Zeyuan finally stopped and looked up ahead:
"Alright, both teams have entered the arena for the opening match! The draft phase is about to begin, let's all look at the big screen!"

"Neither side has changed their starting lineup!"

The opening match.

EDG VS RGE.

The Rogue team was created with investment from Imagine Dragons. They had already taken shape in 2018, but only achieved some results in this year's S10.

Qualifying for the World Championship this year is already a remarkable achievement for them.

Having finally made it into the group stage, the first match they faced was against EDG, which was somewhat cruel.

Just look at the support rates for both sides and you'll know. EDG's support rate has reached a whopping 95%!
Even in the betting markets, EDG's odds were ridiculously low, while Rogue's odds were sky-high!
Even so, almost no one went to bet on them.

Even if someone places a bet, it's with the mentality of buying a lottery ticket, hoping for a 'what if' chance.

In short, very soon.

After both sides completed the draft phase (BP), the match officially began.

to be frank.

In the first five minutes, the rogue's performance was quite commendable; at least it didn't get any kills.

Perhaps because it was the first match, EDG was a bit hesitant at the beginning and played relatively conservatively.

Therefore, the whole scene appears harmonious.

But, five minutes later.

Just like they finished warming up, EDG's style became more and more aggressive and their playstyle became more and more bloody, and that familiar feeling came back again!
First blood, second blood, third blood!

At first, the pigeons were able to hold their own and even fight back a bit.

But as time went on, under EDG's wave after wave of high-intensity attacks, the entire Rogue seemed to be knocked unconscious, with kills popping out in all three lanes, blooming everywhere!
Often, the top laner gets tower-dived, the bottom laner gets killed in the lane, and the jungler gets invaded by enemy junglers. Forget about neutral resources, they can't even protect their own jungle!

In less than 14 minutes, EDG completely wiped out all three lanes and one tower plating!

Without a doubt, this was a brutal massacre.

Although the Roasted Pigeons tried their best to defend, they could only drag the game to 25 minutes.

A classic Baron Soul push, forcing a team fight on the high ground, resulting in a team wipe and ending the game.

The final kill score was 17:2, a truly bloody match!
And when the sign of victory appears.

In the LPL commentary booth, the three official commentators were beaming with joy.

"Congratulations to EDG! They achieved a resounding victory in their opening match of the group stage, showcasing their absolute strength!!"

next door.

The three official LCK commentators on the LCK commentary booth had conflicted expressions: "Wow... EDG, I have to say, their performance in this match scared me a little."

"That's incredible! I'm starting to worry about DRX..."

"That's why Group B is called the Group of Death. All I can say is that our team needs to step up its game."

It's not just LCK.

The European commentators were shouting to the heavens: "EDG!! God, they have once again perfectly demonstrated what a champion of this era should possess!"

"This is a mountain that stands between all teams in the world! They used to climb high mountains, but now, they themselves are the highest mountain!!"

corresponding.

Offstage, the audience was even more enthusiastic than the commentators!
Cheers and shouts erupted deafeningly!

There's no way around it; EDG's bloody and violent playstyle is visually striking and destined to be loved by a large audience.

On the other hand, if you can win decisively, who wants to see a turtle cower for a while and then suddenly end the game in one fell swoop?

The two playing styles are on completely different levels in terms of entertainment value!

……

The opening match has ended.

The second match also quickly began, with DWG facing off against FLY.

As expected, although the two sides fought for 36 minutes, DWG ultimately emerged victorious.

In the third match, SN faced off against MAD.

In 30 minutes, MAD was wiped out in a team fight, and SN won the game.

The fourth game, the fifth game...

Then, in the sixth match, another highly anticipated game began.

FPX VS TL!

As the LPL's second seed, they are clearly ranked very high in external assessments.

The most typical example is the "jinx" ranking released by Riot Games.

All of FPX's members, except for GimGoon, made the list, and their rankings weren't low!
Almost everyone agreed that no surprises would occur in this match.

No, it should be the entire Group D. There shouldn't be any surprises in any match involving FPX!

however……

The biggest draw of the S-series is its unpredictability.

Every year, there are unexpected match results.

Just like EDG, who swept the world in S7, RNG, who was eliminated by G2 in the quarterfinals of S8, and... FPX in the group stage!

Yes, FPX lost this match!

They captured three fire dragons in a row.

However, in the decisive team fight at the Ancient Dragon Soul, Lwx's Kai'Sa entered the fray too hastily and was countered and killed by the enemy Xayah and Nautilus.

If a four-protect-one lineup dies, it's basically game over.

Not to mention, there's also a super-fed Akali behind them.

A single wave wiped out the entire team, and the base exploded.

"No more, no more."

On the LPL commentary booth, the three official commentators, who had been in high spirits just moments before, all wore expressions of regret.

"This is something no one expected! FPX lost to TL in this match!"

With the FPX vs. TL match concluded, the first day of the group stage came to a successful close.

The competition may have stopped, but that doesn't mean the audience's emotions will calm down!
On the contrary, everyone's emotions were extremely high at this moment!

Online, a wave has already begun.

#Second Seed Loses to TL#, #What's Going On with FPX!#, #EDG Still Sticking to the Same Track#, etc...

Unsurprisingly, the trending topics were all about the results of the first day of the group stage!

The match that generated the most discussion was naturally the one involving FPX.

Unfortunately, the results of the other three LPL teams' matches were not surprising at all, but FPX was different!
"Losing to North American losers right from the start? Trying to make things harder for yourself, huh?"

"No way, you can beat JD.com and Suning, how could you lose to TL?!"

"If you don't understand, just ask. Is this what you mean by guaranteed admission to the top eight through the lucky draw?"

"Um... is it possible that the change in environment is affecting my condition?"

"BYD can't even adapt to the local environment when competing on home soil, right?"

Clearly, FPX's defeat has had a huge impact on everyone.

But thankfully, this is only the first day of the competition.

Given the strength of Group D, even if FPX is not in good form, it will be quite difficult for them to fail to advance.

Therefore, the outcry from the public is not yet very strong.

however……

The group stage continued on the second day.

FPX lost to DRX again!

That's not all. JD Gaming was also taken down by DWG and was beaten so badly that they had no chance to fight back!
In an instant, the entire LPL seemed to explode!
"what???"

"Is LPL going to be left with only EDG??"

"What are you two fighting about? What on earth are you fighting about?!"

"Got it, FPX is trying to rise from the ashes, just like the theme of last year's S9, another phoenix rising from the ashes (winking and smirking)."

"..."

This time, the online outcry suddenly intensified.

Facing three weak teams, the LPL's second seed managed to lose two games in a row!

If they keep losing, won't they really be relegated to the round of 16?!
But just as no one expected FPX to lose, no one expected that a certain viewer's comment would actually come true.

over the next few days.

FPX truly pulled off a comeback from the brink of death, but unfortunately, they didn't get to live up to their potential!

After defeating MCX and avenging their loss to Team Liquid, FPX lost every single match that followed!

Starting from a 0-2 deficit at the bottom of the group, they achieved an astonishing 2-4 group exit as the first team to be eliminated!

Thus, FPX failed to reach the quarterfinals, breaking the team's lowest record in the World Championship and falling to the round of 16!
The entire chat exploded in an instant!
A dense barrage of 'shame' scrolled across the screen!
(End of this chapter)