In the matches of the 8th week of the LPL Summer 2021 group stage, Invictus Gaming – which was highly anticipated to “revive” after a spectacular victory against TOP Esports earlier – unexpectedly doused fans with cold water by losing to Bilibili Gaming with a score of 0-2.
With this result, IG has almost no chance to compete for a playoff spot on their own and must rely on the missteps of the teams above them. Even if they manage to qualify for the next round, this team will find it difficult to progress further, as the top 10 opponents in the LPL are all fierce competitors, making it hard for IG to pull off any surprises.
The sorrow of IG fans deepens as PDD – the former Estar manager – speaks out about IG’s future after this season. The former professional player who played for IG from 2012 to 2014 expressed his frustration by stating that the fans of this team should best give up hope that their team can make it to the playoffs this season.
Additionally, PDD revealed some rather negative information, stating that after the LPL Summer 2021 ends (which is likely to be IG’s last tournament of the year, as their chances of qualifying for Worlds are almost zero), it is very likely that both Rookie and TheShy will leave this team.
This is not the first time PDD has revealed information about Rookie’s future, and it completely aligns with all the rumors that have circulated over the past year. Chinese media had previously confirmed that Rookie would retire after the 2021 season ends, while TheShy has also stated that he wants to retire alongside Rookie, despite the fact that the player born in 1999 is still quite young to think about “retirement.”
“Fans are very hopeful that they (Rookie and TheShy) will win the Worlds title once again. However, their careers so far can be considered fulfilling already.” – PDD shared.