In recent seasons, the LPL has gradually lost its stature, not only in major tournaments against its “arch-rival” LCK but also in terms of overall appeal. Even in its “home ground”, the matches in the LPL cannot compare to the viewership and coverage of the “Legend Cup” – a spontaneously organized tournament gathering veteran players of the Chinese League of Legends scene. There are many reasons for this decline, but a frequently mentioned important reason is the decreasing skill level of the tournament. In fact, a player once considered the “pride” of the LPL has clearly regressed.
That player is none other than Xiaohu. Once regarded as an irreplaceable pillar of the “Royal Never Give Up” team, and later one of the most important names in Weibo Gaming, Xiaohu is now nothing but a disappointment. In 2023, he and TheShy led WBG to the finals of the 2023 World Championship. However, as of now, no one recognizes the “Little Tiger” who once roamed freely in the LPL, capable of playing any match.
The Summer 2023 season is turning into a “nightmare” for Xiaohu. As of now, Xiaohu has yet to achieve any MVP titles while 7 Mid Laners have claimed this title when facing him. Additionally, Xiaohu has been taken down the third most in the tournament (35 times). His contributions are extremely meager: 523 damage per minute (ranked 17th), 12754 gold per game (ranked 17th), 410 gold per minute (ranked 14th), and a KDA of 2.89 (ranked 15th). For those who are unaware, the LPL Summer 2024 has 17 teams competing. This means Xiaohu’s stats are all at the bottom or near the bottom of the table.
Xiaohu’s declining performance has also dragged WBG’s results to a low point. WBG is currently second to last in their group in the Summer Placements and is likely to drop to Group B (considered to group weaker teams). However, this could also be seen as an opportunity for “Little Tiger” and his teammates to improve their performance in this LPL Summer 2024. Of course, this is contingent on whether they can “wake up” before it’s too late.