Preface: The S16 season matches have officially begun. I believe the vast majority of players have been following the recent competitions. The tournaments in various major regions are nearing their end, now entering the final championship race. The losers' bracket final in the LPL region has sparked a lot of discussion among netizens. Both AL and IG have fielded their strongest starting lineups. Before the match, industry insiders publicly revealed that for the finals stage, the LPL has opened up all co-streaming commentary permissions, with only five people unable to commentate, and the permission system has now switched to a blacklist model. At the same time, Rookie liked his Korean girlfriend's photos and commented, 'truly beautiful, a stunning beauty.'

Rookie likes girlfriend's photos before the match

I believe most players are quite familiar with IG these days. As a traditional powerhouse in the LPL, their overall performance in the third split has been outstanding. They have defeated several top-tier teams in a row and now reached the losers' bracket final, competing against AL for a spot in the finals. The starting lineups have all been announced. AL's lineup: top laner Breathe, jungler Tarzan, mid laner Shanks, AD Hope, support Kael. IG's lineup: top laner TheShy, jungler Wei, mid laner Rookie, AD Jiaqi, support Meiko. No adjustments were made; both teams fielded their full main rosters.

Before the match began, IG's mid laner Rookie liked a new photo posted by his Korean girlfriend and commented, 'truly beautiful, a stunning beauty.' This appears to be Rookie's first public interaction with his Korean girlfriend in the third split. After his return, many fans even thought Rookie was single, given how strong his form has become. Since he and Xiaoyu have parted ways, there's no right or wrong—both sides have their issues. But honestly, this interaction at such a critical moment does give some haters an opening. However, IG has already achieved their goal of securing the upper bracket of the regional qualifiers; even if they lose to AL, they still have two more chances to qualify for Worlds.

In recent days, discussions about official casters have been abundant, especially regarding co-streaming platforms. The main broadcast's casters obviously cannot say anything inappropriate, as it's the official channel. No matter how unruly they usually are, they must be cautious in their words. With the finals approaching, the LPL has fully opened up co-streaming commentary permissions. An insider said that everyone can stream on co-streaming platforms, except for Xiaoxuan, Wayward, Ning, Ply, and Guan Zeyuan. As long as a person isn't blacklisted, they can do co-streaming commentary. The current co-streaming system has become a blacklist model.

Today, we not only have exciting LPL matchups but also the LCK region's spot battle. HLE and T1 will compete for another LCK finals spot. The match times don't conflict—LCK starts at 1 PM, and LPL at 5 PM. This weekend should be the most enjoyable for viewers, with six top teams from the LPL and LCK facing off. Let's make a bold prediction for the finals: LPL might see IG vs. BLG, while LCK could have GEN vs. HLE. Although T1 has a lot of hype, their pace and form seem to have some issues.

In conclusion

Rookie liking his girlfriend's post and commenting right before a crucial match may not be wrong in itself, but it certainly gives haters a chance to attack. Winning the match might be fine, but if they lose, it could become a target. AL's overall strength is also solid, but I believe most fans still want IG to win this round, given they are the first World Championship winners and people have sentimental attachment.

What do you, the viewers, think about this matter?

PS: Rookie's girlfriend is indeed very beautiful.