Introduction: The competition for the S16 season has officially commenced, and it is believed that the majority of players have been closely following the recent matches. The second stage of the LCK regional matches has been exceptionally intense. Unexpectedly, following their defeat in the Pioneer Tournament, the entire region underwent dramatic changes, particularly within the Gen and BFX teams. In the first stage, their performance was notably outstanding; however, as the second stage began, they faced consecutive crushing defeats, with the BFX team even suffering a ruthless sweep by the BRO team. AD player Ruler was not significantly affected and remained in the starting lineup, though some industry insiders indicated that the Gen team is actively seeking a new AD player.

LCK's top teams completely regionalized, becoming the third-tier region.

It is believed that most players remain highly attentive to the LCK. As a formerly world-class top-tier region, the LCK has demonstrated remarkable overall performance over recent years, consistently securing the World Championship title for multiple consecutive seasons. This season, however, the LCK has experienced significant fluctuations. During the Pioneer Tournament matches, both the Gen and BFX teams were defeated by the G2 team, ultimately relegating the LCK to a third-tier region. Furthermore, official authorities conducted a comprehensive investigation into match-fixing allegations against the Gen team, concluding that the poor performance was solely due to subpar play, with no other underlying causes. After the commencement of the second stage, it was anticipated that they would make substantial adjustments, yet these two teams have instead encountered successive failures.

First, regarding the Gen team: their opening match opponent was the KT team. Initially expected to secure a relatively straightforward victory, they were instead overwhelmed with a 2-1 defeat. The first match lasted only 25 minutes, with BDD's Zoe even using a missile to fiercely steal Canyon's Baron, making the gameplay resemble a bot match, and Ruler was completely suppressed. The second match represented the Gen team's normal performance; the KT team's Bard had nearly zero impact, and within just 28 minutes, the economic lead reached as high as 17,000, also resulting in a crushing victory. In the third match, BDD's Akali directly transformed into a killing deity, with Ruler and Chovy being instantly eliminated upon appearance, and Aiming's output was maximized. The KT team has already achieved two consecutive victories since the start, successively defeating the T1 team and the Gen team.

Next is the LCK region's second seed, the BFX team. Their opening match against the BRO team also ended in a ruthless crushing defeat. In the first game, both sides engaged in a back-and-forth battle, lasting 41 minutes, with BRO executing a counter-push to successfully take the first point. The second match likewise lacked any notable highlights; the BFX team played without any discernible rhythm, essentially allowing the BRO team to secure all resources and economic advantages, concluding the match within 30 minutes and achieving a 2-0 sweep over the second seed. Post-match, the BFX team's coach stated that the return flight from Brazil exceeded thirty hours, leading to varying physical issues among the players, coupled with inadequate training, hence failing to restore their previous level of performance.

Both teams returning from Brazil suffered defeats, a result that surprised many fans, particularly Korean netizens, who instantly erupted in discussion. The Gen team's league streak of 11 consecutive major match victories was tragically terminated; among their recent four losses, three were against the KT team. Could it be that the KT team is Gen's nightmare? A substantial number of Korean netizens also jested, questioning whether the KT team is Korea's National Tax Service, with BDD harshly collecting taxes. The current state of the LCK indeed raises some discussion—could it truly be unable to sustain itself?

Final thoughts:

No one anticipated that the LCK region's first and second seeds would both suffer crushing defeats in their opening matches of the second stage, displaying no capacity for retaliation. Conversely, the KT team has been increasingly formidable in recent matches, successively overwhelming the T1 team and the Gen team. Last season, this team's performance was notably outstanding; during the S15 season finals semifinals, the KT team eliminated the Gen team with a 3-1 victory. Indeed, the most stringent mentor is present here.

What are all the esteemed viewers' perspectives on this matter?