Introduction: The S15 season has wrapped up, and the majority of players have been paying attention to the recent break. The LPL Demacia Cup is approaching its finale. As expected, the final will be contested between IG and JDG, who were almost guaranteed their places after the quarterfinal groupings were set. What surprised fans was JDG’s mid-laner Hongq. Across several matches, his skills and champion pool stood out impressively. Could it be that Tabe has discovered another gem? Meanwhile, Gala’s arrogant post-match declaration sparked widespread online teasing—he openly challenged Wei, saying "I'll beat you in the finals," leaving the host visibly shocked.

Gala challenges Wei: "I'll beat you."

Most players are quite familiar with JDG. As one of the financially strongest teams in the LPL region, they made a huge investment this winter transfer period. Early on, they expanded their budget by over 100 million yuan, ready to make big moves during transfers. Without any players signed initially, they directly acquired a top domestic coaching staff. The additions of Tabe and Xiaobai boosted the team's profile. While many expected them to recruit top-tier domestic players, they ended up only signing Gala for the AD position, with mid and jungle filled by mid-tier players Hongq and Junjia. Before the Demacia Cup started, many doubted their chances of strong results.

Who would have thought JDG would go undefeated all the way to the finals, even sweeping their semifinal opponents 3-0? Honestly, both IG and JDG reaching the finals was unexpected, as most had predicted WBG and BLG to make it. Those two teams were eliminated early in the group stage. Whether it was silent protest or not, the second round groupings were clearly problematic, with IG repeatedly drawing favorable groups three times in a row. The organizer is also sponsored by IG. On reflection, there might be other reasons as well.

The biggest surprise of this Demacia Cup was probably mid-laner Hongq. Many fans viewed him as a mid from the weaker LPL region, whose overall strength didn’t meet LPL standards, with only some decent plays at previous Worlds. However, he became the tournament’s standout, even praised by many as a potential future star among domestic mids. Still, in my opinion, it’s too early to make such claims, since the Demacia Cup leans more towards entertainment, with many not taking it seriously—including top mid Knight, who did not participate.

During the post-match interview, AD player Gala’s comment attracted widespread attention. Facing his former team and wanting to say something to Wei, Gala simply replied with three words: "I'll beat you." The host was visibly awkward and quickly tried to cover up. This might reflect Gala’s genuine feelings; after all, he had a good relationship with teammates at IG, and such jokes among friends don’t create any rift. It seems JDG has a better chance to win this match. Although IG also advanced 3-0, the difference in team composition and coaching staff between the two sides is significant.

Goodbye thoughts

Who would have thought Gala would curse during the official post-match interview, leaving the host stunned for a moment? Honestly, this Demacia Cup feels like the biggest joke in LPL history. First, there were many issues during the group stage draw. Then, in the knockout phase, two top teams exited early. Based on overall strength, this result shouldn’t happen—perhaps the only explanation is that they deliberately gave up and didn’t want to compete.

What do all of you viewers think about this situation?