The former MSI champion now has to compete in the lowest tier of the LPL
With new formats, many LPL teams have already ended their season early in the year after failing to reach the Split 2 Playoffs. Among them is the team that was once a pride of the LPL, nicknamed the “Royal Legion” – Royal Never Give Up. This would have been hard to accept many years ago. But at this point, this is a somewhat predictable outcome. Therefore, RNG has taken a different approach: sending the entire team to compete in the… third tier.
Accordingly, fans have discovered RNG’s schedule in the Challengers tournament – now known as LDL 3, which is the youth league of League of Legends in China. Notably, unlike the LCK, this LDL 3 tournament includes academy teams (which are at a lower level than Challengers), and RNG is the only team from the main LPL league that has to compete here. Additionally, within the framework of the tournament, there is already Royal Club – which is RNG’s youth team.
It can be said that the former MSI champion has created one of the most bizarre situations in League of Legends history, with two teams playing in the same division since the official professional League of Legends tournaments were established.
The community is also buzzing about the case of the former MSI champion
Setting aside the fact that RNG has been declining for several years now, many fans are concerned that two teams from the same academy competing in the same league system could lead to negative outcomes. Moreover, LDL has been notorious for too many match-fixing scandals, to the extent that the tournament was postponed throughout 2024. Therefore, it is understandable that RNG’s participation in this competition raises concerns.
Another issue is that the current format of the LPL has revealed its shortcomings, as some teams have to end their season too early. This makes it difficult for teams to operate, and RNG’s relegation is merely a temporary situation. Perhaps in the 2026 season, the LPL will need to make more appropriate adjustments for teams to avoid the current situation of “sitting idle.”