Thus, another LPL season has concluded with plenty of surprises. The incredible achievements of Victory Five – a team that was at the bottom of the standings in Summer 2021, and Top Esports being one of the two names competing for the championship…, all contributed to a highly dynamic LPL Spring 2022. The championship title went to Royal Never Give Up after a tense BO5 match against TES. This victory also secured the “Royal Legion” a spot at MSI 2022, and they will compete online due to the ongoing pandemic situation.
In this victory, Bin – the rookie of RNG, was awarded the MVP title of the finals. Not only was it his first time in a domestic finals, but Bin also secured his first LPL title of his career. Across various forums, discussions began about the Bin – TheShy transfer from Weibo Gaming. In a previous clip, SofM and the coaching staff of Suning admitted that Bin did not fit their playstyle. So, with this championship, did WBG, and possibly SofM, make a mistake regarding Bin?
WBG and RNG have completely different playstyles
At WBG, Huanfeng is a quality name, but only in comparison to teams of similar skill levels, even when he was still part of SN. Huanfeng is stable, but it’s evident that “Teacher Huan” has had fewer “godly” plays, if not, he has started playing increasingly safely. Particularly in this Spring season, Huanfeng has not had many breakthroughs. WBG’s play, in a meta favoring the bot lane, still revolves around the top lane with the coordination of TheShy – SofM – Angel.
The issue for WBG isn’t just that they go against the meta, but fundamentally, this trio is not always stable. Objectively speaking, TheShy is the most stable one in this trio. SofM has frequently made mistakes and failed to secure major objectives, while Angel’s performance varies significantly. Moreover, opponents easily obliterate WBG’s still loose connections. Sometimes, it feels like WBG has already lost the match right after the ban/pick phase.
In contrast, RNG’s playstyle fits the meta (bot lane) with GALA and Ming as the core. Ming remains one of the most reliable supports in LPL, while GALA is no longer just smiling. Xiaohu needs no introduction; he is simply the “golden spine” version of LPL and one of the most versatile midlaners in League of Legends today. Therefore, the pressure on Bin in the top lane is significantly reduced. In short: WBG’s success or failure largely depends on TheShy. As for Bin, he just needs to play his role well for RNG to secure victory.
Bin has improved himself
There is an undeniable truth: the remarks made by SofM and the SN coaching staff about Bin’s champion pool being narrow and only strong with “top lane carry” champions were entirely accurate. In fact, during the Demacia Cup prior to LPL Spring 2022, Bin faced significant criticism for being completely ineffective in the overall gameplay. At that time, many LPL fans and the global League of Legends community, including Vietnam, believed WBG was correct.
However, Bin, just like TheShy, has continually improved himself throughout the past season. In this LPL Spring 2022, Bin has been able to play tank champions like Gragas more frequently. It’s important to note that according to Gol.gg, throughout season 11, Bin only played Gragas once… while TheShy used this tank champion three times. Although Gragas at that time was not necessarily meta-friendly, it shows that Bin has made positive changes this season and has worked hard to expand his champion pool.
But Bin has changed himself a lot
Other individuals of RNG outshine WBG
League of Legends is always a 5-player game, and in a professional tournament, no single individual can carry the team to victory if the other four members are subpar. Fortunately for Bin, RNG is a team that can be considered one of the strongest in LPL right now. The skill and experience of each player are superior to WBG. Perhaps the only position where RNG may be slightly inferior to WBG is in the jungle with Wei.
However, Wei has adapted to all of RNG’s playstyles. In other positions, there is nothing to discuss. Xiaohu always maintains good form, even though he has been embroiled in drama and is at risk of “staying home” for the upcoming 2022 Asian Games. GALA – Ming is always one of the most reliable bot duos in LPL. These players have the skill and experience to consistently stand firm and shine at the right moments to lead RNG to victory.
It would be difficult to say that the Bin – TheShy transfer was a mistake for WBG. The success or failure of a team comes from many factors, both subjective and objective. But today, Bin has truly succeeded and shown that his choice to join RNG was correct. Bin’s journey is still long, and he will need to work even harder, especially if RNG faces T1 at MSI 2022. It is likely that Bin’s performance against Zeus will determine the outcome of this “China-Korea showdown”.