Introduction: The S16 season has officially begun, and it's safe to say that most players have been paying close attention to the recent matches. The competitions across all regions have been fierce. Over the past two days, games in the LCK and Europe have kept fans on edge, as only these two regions seem capable of threatening us in world-class events. As the playoffs progress, the veteran European powerhouse G2 has successfully secured a World Championship spot. Their mid-laner Caps made a bold move by shaving his head completely. Meanwhile, Gen.G easily crushed HLE to advance to the finals. In the post-match interview, head coach Homme remained stubborn, refusing to admit his mistakes and insisting they could come back from the losers' bracket to win.

Caps Shaves Head for Qualification; Homme Still Confident

Most players are familiar with the European region, one of the top-tier leagues. In recent years, Europe's overall performance has fluctuated significantly. During this season's regular season, the veteran team FNC failed to secure a World Championship spot due to declining form, ending their long streak of consecutive qualifications. In recent matches, G2 decisively swept VIT 3-0 to lock in their S16 World Championship spot, becoming the first team from Europe to qualify. Caps, true to form, shaved his head completely—a symbolic move suggesting that fewer hairs mean greater strength.

Over the past two days, the LCK matches have been highly intense. The clash between HLE and Gen.G became a hot topic among netizens. In the first game, Gen.G had a decent advantage early on, but in the mid-game, Chovy's Ryze was caught. HLE killed Gen.G's mid and jungle, secured the Baron, and began their comeback. Ultimately, Zeka's Orianna pulled off a three-man ultimate, leading HLE to a team wipe and a one-push victory, taking the first game.

The second game was arguably the most thrilling. Early on, Chovy secured a triple kill and a 0-for-4 in the jungle, establishing a huge advantage. However, in a mid-game team fight, HLE's faster rotations slowly turned the tide. In the crucial final team fight, Kanavi made a fatal mistake, and despite HLE having a 5v4 numerical advantage, Gen.G managed to reverse the situation and take the win.

The third game felt like a solo show by Chovy. His Akali in the mid lane achieved a 10/1/6 scoreline, unstoppable no matter what HLE tried. HLE's entire lineup collapsed, leaving them no room to fight back.

In the final game, Chovy's Vex once again demonstrated exceptional team fight prowess, with a 25-stack Mejai's Soulstealer picking off targets relentlessly. After dropping the first game, Gen.G bounced back to take three consecutive games, defeating HLE with a 3-1 reverse sweep to advance to the grand finals.

In the post-match interview, it was clear that HLE's head coach did not realize his own issues. Homme and Kanavi remained as confident as ever when discussing their loss.

Kanavi stated: "There were many situations today where we had chances to win, but we missed too many opportunities and ultimately lost to Gen.G. We need to prepare well for the next match." Homme was even more outspoken, saying that first they need to beat T1, and if they meet Gen.G again, with proper preparation, they still have a good chance to win. He also admitted that the draft was not good enough today and needs further improvement.

ZaiJian believes

Now, all regions are entering the final point-grabbing stage. Over the next day, multiple teams from various regions will secure their spots. However, it feels like this tournament is still dominated by the LCK. The LPL matches seem like child's play in comparison; only BLG can truly go toe-to-toe with them. Any other team that qualifies might end up as a "training dummy." Although it sounds discouraging, this is the reality.

What do you, dear viewers, think about this?