LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

In addition to the heated discussions among fans, professional commentators and esports media around the world have also offered their own analyses.

European players like Caedrel and North American players like Doublelift all focused their attention on the top lane matchup.

The matchup between Mo and Khan, as well as the jungle battle between Canyon and Jiejie, are considered to be the deciding factors in this best-of-five series.

At the center of this media storm, the atmosphere in DK's team lounge was as heavy as an Icelandic glacier that has never melted.

Head coach kkOma stood in front of the tactics board, which was densely covered with analyses of each position in EDG. Among them, the ID "Mo" occupied more space than the other four players combined.

"Everyone knows that the core of EDG's tactics is Mo." kkOma's voice was deep and powerful. "Their playstyle can be summarized as follows: using Mo's absolute dominance in the top lane to influence the jungle, liberate the mid and bot lanes, and ultimately take over the game through macro play and team fights. This tactic is simple and brutal, but because Mo is unbeatable, no one has been able to break it so far."

He paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over his teammates.

Khan instinctively straightened his back, and Canyon and ShowMaker's expressions also became extremely serious.

“So, our top priority for tomorrow’s strategy is the top lane.” kkOma’s gaze finally fell on veteran Khan. “Khan, the pressure will be on you. We don’t need you to win the lane, we can even accept you being at a disadvantage, but you must do one thing—don’t die. As long as you don’t give him a chance to get a solo kill, Canyon will have enough time to control the map resources, and ShowMaker can spread his influence across the entire map.”

Khan nodded heavily, without saying a word, but clenched his fists tightly.

kkOma then looked at his star mid and jungle players: "Canyon, ShowMaker, your task is to play at a faster pace than the opponent. Jiejie is an excellent player, but his playstyle leans towards protection and counter-ganking. What you need to do is use the most proactive attacks to break through their defenses and force Mo to leave the top lane to provide support. As long as we can free him from the top lane, our opportunity will come."

With the tactical arrangements complete, kkOma took a deep breath and asked the question that everyone wanted to know, but dared not touch upon lightly.

"Are you... confident in facing Mo?"

The entire training room fell into a deathly silence.

No one answered.

Khan's lips moved, but no sound came out, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Canyon and ShowMaker, this confident mid-jungle duo, simply exchanged a silent glance.

This silence is more persuasive than any words.

In the end, it was ShowMaker who broke the silence.

He looked up at the coach: "Um... I was just saying, is there a possibility that Mo might switch positions? After all, he can play any position, and he's really good at them all..."

This question stumped KkOma.

Although it's been a long time since we've seen Mo switch positions in a match, he used to do it all the time.

As Showmaker said, he is almost invincible no matter which position he plays.

Faced with such a monstrous talent, what could he possibly do...?

kkOma sighed: "Let's just wait and see how things develop. There's no point in saying anything now..."

……

The day of the decisive battle arrived as scheduled.

Early in the morning, before dawn, all the EDG team members had already gotten up.

In the hotel restaurant, no one spoke, only the soft clinking of cutlery could be heard.

Everyone was quietly eating breakfast and adjusting their state of mind.

Su Mo remained as relaxed as ever, even ordering himself an extra fried egg.

"Brother Mozi, you're not nervous at all," Jiejie said, looking at him.

"What's there to be nervous about?" Su Mo put the last bite of fried egg into his mouth. "They're the ones who should be nervous."

"Too……"

After breakfast, Abu gave a final tactical reiteration, and then the whole team changed into their black and gold jerseys, tidied up their peripherals, and gathered in the lobby.

A dedicated bus to the stadium was already waiting at the hotel entrance.

The moment the team members stepped out of the hotel, a biting wind mixed with snowflakes hit them, causing everyone to instinctively tighten their collars.

But even more fervent than the cold wind were the dozens of LPL fans who had been waiting outside the hotel.

They didn't make a sound; they simply stood quietly in the wind and snow, holding a huge banner that read the same sentence in both Chinese and English:

"Go EDG!"

Seeing this scene, a warm feeling welled up in the hearts of the team members.

They stopped and bowed deeply to their fans.

The bus moved slowly through the streets of Reykjavik in the early morning. The interior was quiet except for the slight hum of the equipment boxes rolling.

Everyone was wearing headphones, either resting with their eyes closed or watching the snow rushing past the window, silently gathering their strength.

Finally, the stadium, with its dazzling aurora-like shape, appeared at the edge of the field of vision.

Outside the venue, it was already packed with people, a sea of ​​excitement.

The black and gold EDG support flag and the sky blue DK support flag clearly distinguished each other, dividing the entire square into two camps.

Fans from both sides chanted slogans in their respective languages.

"EDG! Come on!"

"DK! Go for it!"

Guided by staff, the bus slowly drove into the underground venue through the athletes' exclusive passage.

As I stepped out of the car and walked through the dark and long contestant tunnel, the moment the dazzling stage lights at the end shone on my face, a deafening roar of cheers swept over me like a tidal wave!

The EDG team members took a deep breath and stepped onto the stage that everyone was watching.

Behind them are the hopes of the entire LPL region.

Beneath their feet lies one of the final two hurdles on the path to the highest glory in League of Legends.

Su Mo walked at the back of the group. He looked up at the huge AR dragon on the dome and a barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips.

He could feel the palpable tension and excitement in the air.

Inside the backstage dressing room, the final preparations were proceeding smoothly.

Staff members handed the team members warm water and hand warmers, while Abu, holding a tactics board, gave them his final instructions. "Remember what we've been practicing these past few days," his voice was calm and steady, without a trace of tension. "DK is strong, but they are human, not machines. Humans make mistakes. What we need to do is remain patient, seize the moment they make a mistake, and then deliver a fatal blow."

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over each team member, finally settling on the figure who remained calm and composed throughout.

"Brother Mozi, I'm counting on you for today."

Su Mo was flexing his fingers when he heard this, and simply smiled faintly.

"rest assured."

These two simple words seem to possess a magical power to calm people's hearts.

Jiejie took a deep breath, nodded vigorously, and the last trace of tension in her eyes was replaced by a soaring fighting spirit.

"Alright, time's up, get ready to go on stage!"

Under the guidance of the staff, the five members of EDG straightened their team uniforms and stood up to line up.

The contestants' passageway leading to the main stage is illuminated only by a row of floor lights, with the stage entrance shining as brightly as the sun at the end.

In the distance came cheers as loud as a mountain and the rousing theme song. Every drumbeat seemed to strike the heart, making one's blood boil involuntarily.

When the five figures appeared at the stage entrance, the atmosphere at the scene was instantly pushed to its peak!

"EDG! EDG! EDG!"

Countless fans from the LPL region shouted with all their might, and the black and gold support flags formed a surging sea.

They walked onto the stage one by one.

At the same time, the big screen cut to footage of the pre-match interview.

The host, Sjokz, was dressed in an elegant gown and wore a professional smile.

"First, we interviewed Mo, the top laner from the LPL's number one seed, EDG!" Su Mo's calm and handsome face appeared on the screen.

“Hello, Mo,” Sjokz asked in fluent English, “This is undoubtedly the most anticipated match since the start of this World Championship. You are about to face DK, who are said to be the most threatening team to you. How are you feeling right now? Are you feeling the pressure?”

Su Mo answered the camera in Chinese as usual, and the translator next to him quickly followed up: "I'm very calm. A match with pressure is more interesting. I've been looking forward to this match for a long time."

This effortless response instantly caused a frenzy in the live stream chat.

[As expected of Mozi! While others feel immense pressure, he finds it amusing!]

[Translation: Finally, someone who can fight has arrived.]

Sjokz was clearly a little surprised by the answer, but she quickly recovered and continued, "So, what do you want to say to Khan, who you'll be facing off against, and to DK's proud mid-jungle duo, ShowMaker and Canyon?"

Su Mo thought for a moment, then slowly said, "Khan is a very respectable veteran. As for ShowMaker and Canyon, they are one of the strongest mid-jungle duos today, and I look forward to facing them in the Rift. However..."

He paused, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips. "I hope they can perform at 120% today, otherwise the match might end very quickly."

mad!
Extreme madness!

Yet it feels so natural!

The interview footage switched to ShowMaker, DK's core mid-laner.

“ShowMaker,” Sjokz asked, “EDG and Mo have shown tremendous dominance, and many people think Mo is an unstoppable force. What’s your opinion on that?”

ShowMaker, with his signature confident smile, replied through a translator: "Mo is indeed a phenomenal top laner, and I personally acknowledge his skill. However, League of Legends is ultimately a 5v5 game. What we at DK rely on has never been the strength of any one individual, but rather the system of our entire team. We will challenge him in our own way."

The interview ended, and the camera cut back to the commentator's booth.

For this match, Riot Games fielded a familiar commentary lineup – Miller, Wawa, and Guan Zeyuan from the LPL region, with three top commentators gathered together.

"Welcome back!" Miller's voice was filled with barely suppressed passion. "Having just listened to the interviews with the key players from both sides, I can only say that the tension is absolutely at its peak! This is definitely an epic showdown!"

Wawa nodded in agreement, saying, "That's right! You can see the essence of the two teams' styles just from the interviews. EDG believes in Mo's absolute individual skill, which can tear everything apart. DK, on ​​the other hand, believes in their flawless team system, which can defeat any enemy!"

Guan Zeyuan adjusted his glasses and began his "scientific" analysis: "There are just too many highlights in this match! In the top lane, what hero will Mo choose to carry out his dominance? How will Khan withstand the pressure? In the jungle, who will be able to create momentum for their team in the clash between Jiejie and Canyon? This will be a battle of wits and psychology that starts from the draft phase! The suspense begins from the very first second!"

Amidst the passionate analysis of the three commentators, the lights in the venue suddenly dimmed.

After both players finished setting up their equipment, the huge screen instantly switched to that heart-pounding interface.

The match has officially entered the draft phase!

"Alright, viewers! The first game of the highly anticipated semifinals is about to begin, the draft phase!" Miller's speech quickened instantly. "After a coin toss, EDG has the first choice of side in this game, and they've chosen the blue side!"

"EDG on the blue side banned Ryze on the first pick!" Wawa immediately said. "Very decisive! They directly targeted ShowMaker's champion pool. Ryze is too flexible, whether in lane or in supporting!"

"Red team DK, their first ban/pick is... Heart of the Tempest!" Miller's voice carried a hint of certainty. "Kennen! There's no way around it, Mozi's two devastating lightning attacks in the quarterfinals left too deep an impression on all the teams! DK definitely doesn't want to experience that again!"

"EDG's second pick: ban Lee Sin! Targeting Canyon! Not giving him the most comfortable jungle rhythm champions!"

“DK’s second ban… is Jayce, the future guardian!” Guan Zeyuan analyzed. “It’s also aimed at Mo’s champion pool! Jayce’s laning pressure is too strong, and DK doesn’t want Khan to be stuck in a rut from level one.”

"EDG's third pick is to ban Aphelios, the Reaper of the Moon! Targeting Ghost! Ghost's Aphelios has terrifying damage output in late-game team fights, and EDG chose to eliminate this threat early!"

"DK's final ban/pick was LeBlanc. DK's draft was very meticulous, not giving EDG a chance to pick her first!"

"First round of bans and picks is over! Blue side EDG gets the first pick!" Miller's voice suddenly rose, "What will they get? Is it the meta pick?"

The hero icons flashed rapidly, and in the end, EDG did not hesitate and directly locked in the hero that was either banned or picked in this World Championship!

"Bounty Hunter!" Miller shouted, "EDG, go for Miss Fortune! Pick the most stable and powerful teamfight damage dealer for Viper first! A Miss Fortune with 16 waves of projectiles is the most unreasonable ADC in this patch!"

"It's DK's turn to make their first and second picks," Wawa said, staring intently at the screen. "They've locked in Jarvan IV and Leona! A jungle-support duo with extremely strong initiation capabilities! Canyon and BeryL's signature heroes!"

"A very classic DK-style pick!" Guan Zeyuan analyzed. "They want to use the strong early and mid-game initiation to disrupt Miss Fortune's formation and prevent her from comfortably unleashing her ultimate!"

"So how will EDG retaliate?"

EDG quickly chose their second and third floors.

"Xin Zhao and the River King!" Miller shouted. "Xin Zhao versus Jarvan IV! A clash of titans! Jiejie has picked his most confident champion! And Tahm Kench is EDG's answer! The strongest shield! You, Jarvan IV and Leona, come at me, I'll swallow you whole and make all your engages a free kill!"

The first three picks by both sides have already revealed their tactical intentions.

The clash between spear and shield began fiercely from the very first second of the ban selection. (End of Chapter)