"GG!" The moment the base exploded, the LCK commentator and host shouted in unison.
Roaring Diquan Suanni couldn't hide his disappointment. "KZ has lost this match, which means that the LCK division will be ranked second in the group stage of the Intercontinental Championship. The four teams must participate in the semifinals tomorrow afternoon. Their opponents will be the LMS division!"
Madlife also sighed. "I have to say, YM is indeed the best team in the world. Their understanding of the version is very strong …"
"Homme." Quan Futu was still a little proud. He held his head high and said, "He's also an excellent coach from our LCK!"
Madlife continued, "Moreover, YM's condition is too good. Their hero pool is bottomless. After Erilia and Atokus, Ran has Parker as a mid laner …"
"It's hard for you to restrict him," he said helplessly. "Maybe some viewers don't want to hear this, but I still have to say it … Ran and Xiang He are both the strongest mid laners of their era. Due to the different peak periods of their individual strength, it's hard to compare who was stronger at their peak. However, in terms of their peak periods, I'm afraid you won't be able to find a player who lasted longer than Ran."
At this time, there were hundreds of thousands of Korean viewers watching the Korean broadcast. Even though it was only the group stage, the rematch of the MSI finals was too tempting. Moreover, it would determine whether their division could advance directly to the finals. Naturally, the Koreans were looking forward to it.
YM had dominated the Intercontinental Championship for two years and was the biggest victim of the LCK division. The Korean broadcast of this match was all about whether or not KZ could overturn YM's reign.
The Korean audience's attitude towards Lin Ran could be described as half love and half hate. The human nature of wanting to be strong intertwined with the pride of the division. Every time YM beat up the LCK division team, they would have mixed feelings. It could be said that it was extremely complicated.
Now that they had witnessed the Spring Season champion KZ lose and heard Madlife's high evaluation of Lin Yan, the number of interactive comments in the chat instantly increased.
[Xiang He oppa is the best. No refuting!]
[Faker can use Yasso. Can Ran?]
[Both of them are S Tournament champions. I don't think they are on par. Isn't Hong Minqi too much of a narcissist?]
[Ran has another MSI champion, and their head-to-head results are also in the lead.]
[Hehe, Xiang He also has two runners-up in the mid-season competition and one runner-up in the world competition. Does Ran have any?]
There were all sorts of people in the channel. There were SKT fans who were defending Faker, and there were also a large number of haters who were either blatantly or in disguise.
Ever since the end of the S7 World Championship, SKT had begun a long period of rebuilding. Even though 96line was still on the field, they were already 22 years old, and their condition was fluctuating. It would be difficult for them to return to their peak performance.
Not to mention the two junglers who had started to rotate. Back then, Kkoma had guided Xiao Hei to develop in the same way as the previous jungler with the surname B, but it didn't seem to be working well. Blank couldn't bear the heavy responsibility and was also a classic example of a lunatic. The top laner, Thal, was simply a breakthrough. This time, even LMS's fourth seed top laner was able to suppress him.
The strength of the veterans had declined, and the rookies had yet to mature. It was inevitable that SKT's results would decline.
SKT, who had dominated LCK for nearly three years, had collapsed, and public opinion had also suffered a backlash.
Previously, when the barbecue stall was at its peak, it was inevitable that there would be some fans who used their power to bully others. They had offended Samsung, CJ, and KT's supporters.
Now that these people saw that the barbecue stall was becoming more and more popular, they naturally wouldn't let go of this great opportunity to retaliate. This also caused the number of haters of SKT to swell.
When Quan Wuyi heard madlife's evaluation of Lin Yan and Lee Xianghe, he knew that he had caused trouble.
As an experienced host, he would normally not make a direct comparison in public to determine who was better and who was worse. This was especially true when one's side was not in an advantageous position. It was best to avoid such topics as much as possible.
Although madlife's words were very tactful, and he was speaking the truth, the speaker did not mean what he said. Moreover, the Korean audience had just witnessed KZ being defeated by YM once again, and they were in a bad mood. His words were like a spark that detonated a barrel of explosives.
Even if one out of 100 audience members jumped out to scold him, it would still be a significant number. There was no need to make such provocative remarks.
Why did you say all this?
There was nothing to gain from it.
It could only be said that in Korea, where seniority was highly valued, madlife, who was highly experienced and respected in the League of Legends esports circle, did not read "EQ" well.
Quan Wuyi quickly used another topic to divert the audience's attention. At this time, the caster's camera was focused on Khan. After losing his championship face, his face was full of sorrow, and it made him look a little pitiful.
"Players of KZ, although we have lost the finale match, there is no need to be discouraged!"
Quan Wuyi tried to use an encouraging tone. "As long as we defeat LMS and enter the finals, we still have a chance to take revenge!"
Khan, who had just finished shaking hands with YM, stood in front of the table, wrapping the keyboard cable around the peripherals. His eyes were blank, and his movements were mechanical and wooden.
He just wanted to hurry back, take out his dusty Chinese textbook, and study it.
Lin Yan and his teammates came to the center of the stage and waved to the three sides of the stands.
Although they had won a clean victory, the audience was still not satisfied. They had not had enough fun, and YM had already ended the match?
It was faster than a toothpick.
A few louder fans in the front row even raised their hands to cover their mouths and complained a little.
"To be honest, I didn't have enough fun either." Lin Yan snorted. "If only I had Killer Blade. My attack this round could have stacked more than 400."
When Mongoose walked off the stage, he began to speak in a sarcastic tone. "Killer Blade?
Then you have to ask Jack, who cut it? "
"It's a pity that Jack will never be able to get his fists to delete his equipment," he said as he gestured. "This is the difference, do you understand?"
"You b * stard, don't be disgusting here." Jack slapped Mongoose on the back.
Everyone laughed. Only Jin Gong did not know what was going on. He asked Lin Yan with a confused expression.
"…" Lin Yan wanted to say something but stopped. He felt that it was not appropriate to say it directly.
After all, it was just a joke. He had met Vincent a few times and felt that he was a good person. It was just that some of his wise comments seemed like they were crossdressing fans.
He thought for a moment and said, "I can only say that I understand everything, okay?
I won't explain much if I don't understand … "
After that, Jin Gong was confused.
The Xiba people wanted to ask more questions, but fortunately, Aftershock saved Lin Yan.
She handed over a microphone, indicating that Lin Yan was going to be interviewed on the main stage.
Lin Yan gave the organized peripherals to Mongoose to bring back to the lounge. He and Aftershock went through the interview questions.
There was also a TV at the backstage entrance where the two of them were. It was connected to the live broadcast of the competition. Lin Yan did not need to look at the big screen to see that he had won the MVP of the game again.
Lin Yan, who was wearing gold-rimmed glasses, was a ferocious water ghost behind his makeup.
The skin on Parker's jaw had completely disappeared. Just one look at his beast-like teeth and one would feel a chill run down one's spine.
Comparing the two in this MVP photo, it looked a little out of place.
Parker had 12 kills, 0 deaths, and 6 assists. His opponent's economy was + 7386, his team participation rate was 81.8%, his solo kills were 5, and his average damage output was 777.
Although the average damage output of 777 did not seem high, for an assassin like Parker, who did not have particularly high AOE damage, it was already very impressive.
When everything was ready, Aftershock stepped onto the stage in her high heels.
Most of the audience had not left yet.
Even though it was already past nine at night, they still wanted to stay for ten more minutes to finish watching the post-match interview.
"Welcome Brother Ran to our post-match interview …" Aftershock turned to look at Lin Yan and subconsciously revealed a sweet smile. "Let's say hello to everyone first."
"Hello everyone, I'm YM's mid laner, Ran." Lin Yan's tone was calm and calm, without any fluctuations.
The cheers of the fans below the stage were endless. Without the soundproof headphones, Lin Yan could hear the enthusiasm of his supporters more clearly.
Before Aftershock could pick up the microphone, a male fan in the stands suddenly shouted, "Brother Ran, mommy loves you!"
This time, everyone in the audience burst into laughter.
Lin Yan managed his expression well and continued to be expressionless.
【？？？
Pretending to be cold, huh?]
[Don't be so awkward. Brother Ran is cosplaying as a water ghost. He's probably been possessed by Parker.]
[Ran: Isn't it just a best-of-one? Why are you guys so excited?]
[I think it's because he didn't get a pentakill, so he's pissed.]
There were many different opinions in the bullet screen, and all kinds of mocking comments were endless.
"In the closing match of the group stage, you guys took care of MSI's opponent KZ very quickly and obtained a ticket for Sunday's final for the LPL division … Brother Ran, what do you think about this?"
Lin Yan responded calmly, "This is all due to the combined efforts of the four teams in the division. Everyone has contributed a lot. It's just that YM is the last to appear, so it seems more important."
Yu Zhen nodded and asked the next question. "Tomorrow, we can rest for a day and observe the semifinals of the other two divisions. How is our LPL division preparing for the final battle?"
Lin Yan's answer was very official. "Due to the rules of the Intercontinental Championship, the final is actually more of a game of improvisation. It's a bit like Tian Ji's horse race. Our coaches will also watch tomorrow's semifinals and try to see through the opponent's setup."
"Speaking of which, I have to ask Brother Ran for your opinion." Aftershock smiled brightly. "Who do you want to be against in the final?"
Lin Yan did not hesitate this time. "For me, it doesn't matter who I fight."
Hearing this answer, the excitement of the fans in the audience was even more apparent. Shouts and cheers filled the Dalian Central Stadium again!
[Awesome, awesome, very arrogant!]
[D * mn, he's acting again.]
[There's no other way. Brother Ran just can't lose. What should we do?
Someone come and teach him a lesson!]
[I thought he would be straightforward and say that he wanted to beat around the bush in the final.]
Lin Yan really did consider this answer.
However, when he thought about it, he felt that it would make him seem too petty, as if he would seek revenge for the smallest grievance.
Although Lin Yan did have a certain degree of revenge, he definitely could not say that in an interview.
After all, professional players had to control their emotions well.
After the interview, Lin Yan returned the microphone and yawned as he returned to the lounge. He was warmly welcomed by the other three teams.
"What a handsome Water Ghost!"
Broiler said in barbecue-flavored Mandarin. His eyes were shining as he stared at Lin Yan. "Can you teach me?"
"Teach you how to play Parker?" Lin Yan was no longer sleepy. He was ready to teach Broiler a unique skill.
However, he waved his hand. "No, no, no …"
"I want to learn how to kill a Water Ghost."
Broiler's words gave Lin Yan a fright.
"No." He reacted very seriously. "I don't know how to do that."
"Everyone, listen to me!"
Red Rice stood in the middle of the room and knocked hard on the whiteboard next to him. "Go back and play two rounds of Rank today. Gather at the training room tomorrow at one o 'clock sharp!"
Lin Yan agreed. He took his peripherals from Phyllostachys Pubescens, put them in his backpack, and left the room with the others.
…
On the other side of the ocean in Los Angeles, the bright sun shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows into the headquarters of Fist.
A man in a checkered shirt with a smile on his face took a cup of strong coffee, sat in his ergonomic chair, slowly turned on the computer, and chatted with his colleagues at the workstations around him.
"Hey, CertainlyT, did you watch today's Asian Tournament?"
The person working next to him didn't even raise his head. "I watched it. Blaustoise, you have work to do today."
Blaustoise took a sip of coffee to refresh himself. He secretly cursed the work that he had to do next.
As the head of game systems at Fist, he had just finished debugging the update content of version 8.14 yesterday. Today, he could relax as usual.
He wanted to slack off and play games with a salary so that his ranking could reach Diamond.
He didn't expect an unforeseen event to happen that shattered his top-tier dream.
"What went wrong again?" His tone was unfriendly.
His fellow designer CertainlyT was busy typing on the keyboard. He explained, "You adjusted the values of Swordsister, Sword Magician, and Parker too high.
"Especially the new hero Parker, Ran used him to drive Shark crazy in the Intercontinental League."
"What?!" Blaustoise panicked. He suspected that he had heard wrongly. "Parker?"
"You didn't hear wrongly, it's Ghost Shadow Parker from Blood Harbor … Just as you were about to go to work after getting your coffee, he used the mid laner Parker to crush BDD. He even won the MVP of that round."
Blaustoise jumped three feet high, and his tone was even worse than before. "Oh my God … He's crazy. How did he think of using the mid laner Parker in a professional match?"
"Back to the question." CertainlyT shrugged. "Why did you adjust the attributes of these three heroes so high?"
"There's clearly a problem with your mechanic design!
What does it have to do with my values? "Blaustoise was furious.
"Ha?
There's a problem with my mechanic design? "CertainlyT finally looked up." Do you know who you're talking to?! "
"Tribulation, Yasso, Hammer Stone, Zooey, Callista ….. They were all designed by me and all the players are using them. You're saying there's a problem with my mechanic design?"
CertainlyT immediately refuted when his professionalism was questioned.
"Alright, alright." Blaustoise knew that his colleague was much more experienced, so he didn't want to argue with him. "No matter what, you have to take responsibility for this matter. Let's think of a countermeasure together."
"No, I'm still busy with Akali's rework." CertainlyT decisively refused. "You can just hack the mechanic a few times and adjust the values."
"Alright." Blaustoise immediately agreed. "I'll finish this job today and try to get these patches into the 8.14 update."
If the other players had good performances, the two designers wouldn't be this nervous.
Lin Yan was different.
He was already on Fist's blacklist. As long as he used a non-mainstream hero to achieve good results, the designer team would nerf it without another word.
Not letting Lin Yan and YM win three consecutive championships was one of Fist's goals this year.
No one wanted YM to continue monopolizing the game.
If someone really could win three consecutive championships, that would be a disgrace to Fist. The designer team wouldn't allow this to happen.
The solution to this problem was very simple.
Just nerf it.
Whatever YM and Lin Yan liked to use, they would nerf it. Of course, the general direction of the changes wouldn't change, which was to speed up the pace of the game and increase the value of the matches.
After all, there weren't many people willing to watch the operations bureau for fifty to sixty minutes. The more kills there were, the more blood was the truth.
In this general direction, the designer team would make adjustments and do their best to limit YM's abilities.
Starting from MSI, Lin Yan's heroes like Blade Girl, Sword Demon, and Parker were all on their list of key players.
The other mid laners were still adapting to these heroes and there were very few people who were as skilled as Lin Yan.
Naturally the designers couldn't help making a move.
Blaustoise who held great power made his decision. He had to teach Lin Yan a lesson and make him compensate for his loss of points.