As the League of Legends S15 season nears its end, Riot updated the 2025 global team power rankings, with LCK teams sweeping the top four positions: T1, GEN, KT, and HLE. Of the four LPL teams in the world championship, only three are in the top 10. AL and Top Esports hold 5th and 6th places, BLG has fallen to 8th, and IG, outside the top ten, ranks 12th on the list.

Riot’s ranking mainly reflects win-loss data; even DK, which didn’t qualify for the world championship, ranks higher than IG, indicating some inconsistencies. Among the four LCK teams, HLE’s strength should honestly be lower than AL’s. However, these stats have limited reference value. The key point is that the new season is approaching, most teams will undergo roster changes, and next year’s rankings will see a major reshuffle.

TheShy has completely faded out of the esports world.

The popular LPL top laner TheShy did not renew his contract with IG during the transfer window and has confirmed he will take a break next year. Recently, he attended an offline event with Xiaoyu and others at Chabaidao. When fans asked if there would be a chance to see him again, TheShy replied: “There won’t be many chances to see me; you might catch me in a stream, but not necessarily.” This clearly implies he’s quitting professional play and doesn’t plan to stream anymore.

Since the world championship ended, TheShy hasn’t played games and has now even given up streaming, which basically means he’s exited the esports scene. It’s likely, like Uzi, he’ll only occasionally attend business events and spend the rest of his time focusing on other things, such as settling down. No wonder he previously said his life was entering a new phase—after this year’s Worlds, retirement and a quieter life were already on his mind.

Faker surrounded upon arrival in Chengdu.

On the last day of 2025, Faker held a fan meeting in Chengdu. On the 30th, he arrived with just a few staff members, underestimating his influence in the LPL region. As soon as he got off the plane, he was surrounded by layers of fans. Staff formed a circle around him so he could move freely. Faker took off his mask and greeted fans with nods along the way.

Tickets for the fan meeting priced at 6988 yuan sold out instantly, showing the incredible spending power of Faker’s fans. Scalpers resold tickets at exorbitant prices: basic tickets jumped from 1588 to 2800 yuan, and front-row seats soared to 15,000 yuan, several times costlier than major celebrity concerts. This proves the sheer scale and influence of Faker’s fanbase, unmatched by others.

Hextech Mayhem becomes a permanent mode.

This year’s most popular mode in LOL, Hextech Mayhem, was originally scheduled to be removed on January 8th. However, the official recently announced in the tournament group that Hextech Mayhem will remain available and continue receiving updates. This means the mode is now permanent, just like the Soul Fight mode. This is great news for players since Hextech Mayhem is not only fun but also gives everyone a reason to blame their runes when things go wrong.

If you lose, it’s definitely because the opponent got lucky or your runes were weak. Honestly, this mode really saved League of Legends. Player numbers had been declining, but after Hextech Mayhem launched, many veteran players returned. Who can resist playing a round of Mayhem during free time? Although it’s fun, sometimes you just get unlucky—some players haven’t even had a chance to play Jayce in months.

Conclusion:

Uzi has faded from esports, and TheShy is about to retire as well. TheShy won’t compete in the first stage next year, meaning all three top-tier stars have left the scene and even given up streaming. The league’s popularity in 2026 looks worrying. Hopefully, the officials will step up efforts, at least allowing TheShy to stream or commentate on the secondary lane. Otherwise, the excitement will definitely decline.

So, do you think TheShy will make a comeback?

Feel free to leave your thoughts and join the discussion!