Gen.G’s Victory Shakes LPL Fans
On April 2nd, the 2025 LCK Regular Season officially kicked off with a thrilling matchup between HLE and Gen.G. As the defending champions of the LCK Cup and First Stand 2025, HLE was highly regarded prior to this clash. However, Gen.G demonstrated a powerful performance, decisively defeating HLE with a convincing score of 2-0.
Following this victory, fans could clearly see that Gen.G has significantly improved compared to their previous performance in the LCK Cup. Alongside a stellar performance from Chovy, who shone brightly throughout both games, the player known as Duro also showcased an outstanding performance. This allowed Gen.G to create immense pressure and gave the audience the impression that they could defeat any opponent.
Gen.G’s strong performance has caused LPL fans to worry that the gap between this region and LCK is becoming alarmingly wide. This concern arises from the fact that the representative teams from LPL are currently facing immense pressure at the First Stand 2025, where TES is underperforming. In contrast, the LCK teams appear to be gaining an upper hand, as evidenced by the recent defeat of HLE in their match against Gen.G.
Gen.G and LCK’s Dominance Leaves LPL in the Dust
Since JDG won the MSI 2023, LPL representatives have struggled to reclaim glory for this region in international tournaments. The level of competition in LPL has been inconsistent, leading to some teams being overpowered by LCK teams that are perceived to be weaker than those from LEC or LTA. The defeat of TES at the First Stand 2025 is a clear example of this, as they faced losses against teams with lesser renown.
It’s important to note that LPL currently has around 16 teams participating, but only about 5-6 teams are truly competitive. This makes the LPL season lengthy, yet the intensity of competition in many matches is not high. In contrast, LCK, with only 10 participating teams, has around 5-6 teams that can compete at a high level, making matches more competitive and of higher quality. As a result, the overall quality of LPL tournaments has consistently declined, while LCK teams continue to improve.
Therefore, it would not be surprising if LPL continues to struggle against LCK representatives in upcoming international tournaments like MSI or Worlds. Only a significant restructuring in the organization of LPL tournaments could help this region escape its current “stagnant” state, allowing it to rise and foster hope of surpassing LCK in the future.
