Buzz
Despite WBG's triumph, SofM still faces criticism from the LPL community.
Weibo Gaming kicks off the final week of the LPL Spring 2022 group stage with a crucial 2-0 victory over Invictus Gaming. This win was much-needed for WBG, coming off two disastrous weeks with a record of 3 losses - 1 win. Even their victory against LGD Gaming lacked conviction, leaving fans worried about SofM and his teammates' playoff journey.
Despite securing a 2-0 victory against IG, this was yet another challenging match for WBG, even though their opponents had nothing to lose. Game 1, in particular, was... quite dull, with both teams playing overly cautious. It wasn't until nearly 27 minutes into the game that there were only 4 kills evenly split between both sides. Moreover, WBG seemed to only truly come alive in the late game. For the most part, they allowed IG to dictate the pace of the game. Of course, we can't overlook the 'habit' of giving up Dragons that has persisted from the beginning of the LPL Spring 2022 until now.
The League of Legends community in China, especially WBG fans, clearly cannot be satisfied with such performances from the players. However, the blame is directed towards SofM, with many believing that he is becoming weaker and needs his teammates to 'carry' him. Some even directly state that SofM is still stuck in his old playing style and refuses to change.
A more gentle opinion suggests that in the current meta, not always picking the Dragon isn't necessarily disadvantageous, but it also doesn't mean that SofM is always right in abandoning major objectives. And of course, many fans are starting to worry a bit for WBG before their final match against JD Gaming.
But nonetheless, the psychological burden after two weeks of poor performance is gradually being lifted. And with a return to focus, WBG players can completely defeat any team. However, it's crucial that SofM and his teammates improve every day. Because the playoffs will be a much tougher journey, and every mistake will surely come at a high price.
