Ahead of the 2022 season, most LPL teams have undergone significant roster changes (except for the reigning world champions EDward Gaming). As a result, the names considered contenders for the LPL Spring 2022 title have changed dramatically from the previous season. A prime example is Top Esports, who have emerged as a top contender for the LPL championship after adding Tian, Zoom, and performing exceptionally well at the 2021 Demacia Cup.
Despite being highly regarded, Top Esports recently made a perplexing move that seems like a “self-sabotage.” The situation began when players discovered that Tian was frequently solo-ranking in Korea while his teammates were scrimming for the past few days. With just about a week left before LPL Spring 2022 kicks off, this move effectively signals that Tian will be benched for the upcoming tournament.
Essentially, Tian’s performance at the 2022 Demacia Cup was outstanding, even earning him the MVP title in the Finals. While he may not have performed well with Jarvan IV, when playing other champions, Tian still showcased himself as a top jungler. Even in solo queue, this player continues to perform well, so there seems to be no reasonable explanation for TES wanting to bench him. As a result, the team has faced considerable criticism from its own fans.
As mentioned earlier, after acquiring Zoom and Tian, Top Esports made significant strides in power. The clearest evidence is that they won the 2021 Demacia Cup with an incredible comeback in the Finals. Consequently, many experts hold TES in high regard ahead of the LPL Spring 2022, even though they performed poorly in the previous season.
Clearly, suddenly benching Tian will disrupt Top Esports’ gameplay and rhythm, potentially leading to poor results in the future. Hopefully, Tian’s concession of the practice position to Xiaopeng is merely a “tour rotation” maneuver by TES.