Recaps

After Faker won another title, TJ Sports and IG assembled a high-hype all-god roster to revive the LPL, recruiting the troublemaking but talented Lin Heng as IG’s support. Lin Heng accepted the tryout and prepared to return to professional play.

• After the LPL’s S15 struggles, TJ Sports considered ways to generate hype and decided IG should build an all-god roster.
• The IG manager proposed signing Lin Heng, an RNG secondary-team player known for strong skills and provoking opponents, and TJ Sports approved him.
• Lin Heng, broke and worried about his career, received a call from IG’s owner offering him a support tryout.
• Lin Heng accepted the tryout, recalled his years with RNG and his dream of winning the Summoner’s Cup, and looked over his strong system stats.

Lin Heng joined Invictus Gaming’s tryout, met the team, and picked Camille support alongside Uzi for a scrim against BLG. The chapter ended as Ning agreed to Lin Heng’s risky level-two bot-lane plan.

• Lin Heng arrived at Invictus Gaming’s training room and asked several players for autographs before realizing his account ID might reveal a past controversy.
• Lin Heng joined a best-of-three scrim against BLG and confidently dismissed the pressure of facing them.
• After both teams drafted, Lin Heng locked in Camille support for Uzi despite Coach Danny suggesting safer picks.
• Lin Heng asked Ning to gank bot at level two, and Rookie warned them not to ruin their tryout.
• Ning accepted Lin Heng’s plan and urged the team to go after BLG.

Lin Heng’s level-two bot-lane gank helped IG kill Elise and dive Caitlyn, giving Xin Zhao and EZ early kills and ending the scrim. The second game’s draft began with IG picking Yunara, and Uzi realized Lin Heng had chosen Xerath in the fifth slot.

• Lin Heng directed Ning to invade for Red Buff and coordinated a bot-lane ambush that killed ON’s Elise after Camille followed her Flash with a perfectly timed E-Flash.
• IG pushed the wave and dived Caitlyn, while Xun’s Wukong arrived too late to prevent the kills; BLG surrendered after Caitlyn fell far behind.
• Knight joked that Lin Heng’s scrim trick was boring, and Xun suggested trying a level-two bot gank in the next game.
• BLG and IG began the second draft, with BLG choosing Neeko, Corki, and Akali while IG selected Jarvan IV, Orianna, and Yunara.
• Uzi worried that Lin Heng might be affected by fan criticism, but then saw Xerath picked in the fifth slot and decided the rookie deserved to be flamed for refusing to pick a real support.

Lin Heng explained that he picked Xerath to help Invictus Gaming push bot lane against BLG’s early-game pressure. In the opening exchanges, Xerath and Yunara outplayed Neeko and Corki with precise slows and pokes, and the bot lanes began testing their positioning as they leveled up.

• Lin Heng and Coach Danny chose Xerath, and the teams locked in lineups built around Invictus Gaming’s later teamfighting and BLG’s early aggression.
• On said the bot-lane matchup would depend on landing skillshots, while Bin prepared to prove himself on Rek'Sai.
• Both teams warded the enemy Raptors and entered lane without attempting an invasion.
• Xerath predicted Neeko’s brush position and hit her with a centered W, letting Yunara slow and chase her until Neeko used Heal and lost nearly half her health.
• Xerath scratched his head to provoke BLG, then traded skillshots with On as BLG’s bot lane reached level two first.
• The two bot lanes reached levels two and three and began testing their movement against each other.

Invictus Gaming’s Xerath and Yunara dominated the bot lane with precise poke, helping IG claim lane priority and force BLG to concede the Void Grubs. As the game continued, Viper realized Lin Heng had studied his movement habits, and On’s own experiment suggested the same might be true for him.

• Lin Heng and Uzi used Xerath’s W slow to help Yunara land her W and set up Xerath’s Q, repeatedly hitting BLG’s bot lane.
• BLG started the first dragon at six and a half minutes, while Invictus Gaming gave it up and Ning counter-jungled two camps.
• IG’s bot lane swapped to top and Lin Heng’s Xerath poked Corki down, leaving BLG unable to contest the Void Grubs when they spawned.
• Viper adjusted his movement and began dodging Xerath’s skills, then told his teammates Lin Heng seemed familiar with his movement habits.
• On changed his movement pattern and dodged Xerath’s W, leaving him stunned by the possibility that Lin Heng had studied him too.

Lin Heng impressed both teams by predicting Knight’s movements with Xerath’s ultimate, then explained his study of players’ habits and his determination to wait for a chance to play professionally. After the tryout, the club rated him highly, and Danny enthusiastically praised his champion pool while Uzi wondered whether he had been tricked.

• Lin Heng explained to Uzi that he studied opponents’ movement habits and used that knowledge to predict their dodges.
• Lin Heng landed every shot of Xerath’s ultimate on Knight’s Akali, killing him during a mid-lane fight.
• Lin Heng told Uzi he would keep waiting until he got to play in a match, prompting Uzi to reflect on his own career.
• The club gave Lin Heng a score of 95, while Danny gave him 100 and questioned him excitedly about his champion pool.
• Lin Heng claimed he could play unusual champions as support, leaving Uzi suspicious that he had been fooled.

Lin Heng’s Mischief System rewarded him for tilting opponents, and he used its points to develop his abilities as a support. After several scrims with IG’s veteran lineup, the club’s identity remained a mystery until its final-day announcement.

• Lin Heng recalled earning points by annoying players such as Faker, whose report got Lin Heng’s Korean server account banned but earned him enough points to buy two skill points.
• Lin Heng described the Night Owl skill and his improved stats, champion pool, and mental, which helped make his unusual support picks a strength.
• Lin Heng considered IG’s older lineup and decided it offered him a valuable opportunity.
• IG used the lineup for seven or eight more scrims as fans and rival clubs speculated about its roster and mysterious support.
• On the final day of the transfer window, IG’s official Weibo dropped a bombshell.

Invictus Gaming announced a star-studded roster featuring Rookie, TheShy, Wei, Ning, Uzi, and rookie support Lin Heng, then kept fans waiting until the 2026 LPL First Split. The lineup was set to debut against a restructured Weibo Gaming on a new patch when the opening match began on January 14.

• Invictus Gaming announced Rookie, TheShy, and Wei had renewed their contracts, then revealed Ning had joined as a rotating jungler.
• Invictus Gaming announced Uzi as ADC and Lin Heng, a largely unknown rookie, as support, prompting mixed reactions from fans.
• Invictus Gaming sent Wei and second-team youngsters to the Demacia Cup, leaving the new roster to wait until the spring split for its debut.
• Weibo Gaming entered 2026 with Zika, Jiejie, Xiaohu, Elk, and Erha, while a new patch introduced role quests and other gameplay changes aimed at curbing lane swaps.
• Invictus Gaming and Weibo Gaming began the 2026 LPL First Split opening match on January 14.

Lin Heng met Xiaohu before Invictus Gaming’s match against Xiaohu’s team, and Xiaohu found the rookie humble despite his reputation in scrims. The casters then introduced the matchup, highlighting the history between Xiaohu and Uzi as the opening match approached.

• Lin Heng asked Xiaohu for an autograph and quoted his goal of winning the championship, impressing Xiaohu with his humility.
• Xiaohu told his teammates that Lin Heng was a low-key, humble rookie, surprising them because Lin Heng had played provocatively in scrims.
• Xiaohu realized that Invictus Gaming’s lineup included several of his former teammates and declared that his team would crush them.
• Guan Zeyuan and 957 introduced the match, with Guan joking that viewers most wanted to see Xiaohu face Uzi again.

Lin Heng made his LPL debut with Invictus Gaming as the team and Uzi drew intense attention during their comeback. The chapter ended with Invictus Gaming choosing Sylas as their final pick against Weibo Gaming.

• Rookie, TheShy, Ning, Uzi, and Lin Heng took the stage for Invictus Gaming, and Lin Heng tried to ease Uzi's nerves before the match.
• Invictus Gaming chose blue side and second pick-and-ban order, then drafted Rumble, Pantheon, and Taliyah while Weibo Gaming took Varus, Wukong, and K'Sante.
• Invictus Gaming picked Kai'Sa for Uzi, prompting Guan Zeyuan to question how she would handle Varus in lane.
• Weibo Gaming completed its draft with Ahri for Xiaohu and Alistar support.
• Invictus Gaming surprised the casters with its final pick, Sylas.

IG locked in Sylas mid and Lin Heng’s Taliyah support against WBG, drawing widespread skepticism over the unusual pick. In lane, Taliyah helped contest the wave and stunned Erha’s Alistar during his level-two engage, leaving the bot-lane exchange unresolved.

• Lin Heng chose Taliyah support while Rookie took Sylas mid, completing IG’s lineup against WBG.
• Commentators, viewers, Zz1tai, and Uzi questioned whether Taliyah support could work, while coach Danny was excited about the draft.
• IG and WBG began the game with different priorities, as Ning cleared upward to support Rumble and WBG’s jungler cleared downward toward bot lane.
• Lin Heng used Taliyah’s Q and basic attacks to trade with Alistar and help Kai'Sa contest the wave, while Elk’s Varus poked Uzi.
• After WBG’s bot lane reached level two, Erha engaged on Uzi with Alistar’s W-Q combo, but Lin Heng placed Unraveled Earth beneath him and stunned him before he could use Q.

Taliyah’s early plays proved her value as a roaming support, helping Invictus Gaming win a bot-lane skirmish and secure first blood in mid. She then roamed across the map with Unsealed Spellbook and a movement-focused support build, leaving her teammates and viewers convinced the pick could work.

• Taliyah used Unraveled Earth and Heal to help Kai'Sa punish Erha's Alistar, forcing him to Flash and giving Invictus Gaming an advantage in bot lane.
• After recalling, Taliyah used Rock Surfing to reach mid from an unexpected angle and helped Sylas force Xiaohu's Ahri to Flash.
• Taliyah anticipated Ahri's Flash with Seismic Shove, and Sylas secured first blood while Taliyah forced another Flash from the enemy side.
• Guan Zeyuan and 957 praised Taliyah's roaming, and viewers and streamers reversed their doubts about the pick.
• After Unsealed Spellbook became available, Taliyah roamed constantly with swapped summoner spells and built inexpensive support items focused on movement speed and cooldown reduction.

IG defeated WBG in the first game with Lin Heng’s support Taliyah enabling Rookie’s Sylas, then brought Wei in for the second game. The chapter ended as commentators and viewers joked about Wei’s history with his former teammate.

• Lin Heng’s Taliyah helped Rookie’s Sylas and Pantheon build an early lead, and IG used their crowd control to stop WBG’s engages and win the game.
• Guan Zeyuan and 957 praised IG’s draft and Lin Heng’s performance, calling support Taliyah the first of Danny’s Nine Trials successfully passed.
• Danny greeted the players backstage, and they discussed their debut, WBG’s mistakes, and how Uzi’s impatience had once left openings for opponents.
• IG substituted Wei for Ning before the second game, and the commentators speculated that the change might be strategic or intended to reunite Wei with an old teammate.
• Viewers flooded the chat with jokes about Wei’s past connections and the Jungle-Support Revolution.

IG and WBG completed their game two drafts, with Lin Heng surprising everyone by locking in Shaco support after hovering the champion tied to the old controversy with Elk. The chapter ended with both teams' lineups set and the audience waiting to see how Shaco would perform.

• WBG first-picked Yunara for Elk, while IG selected Orianna, Jarvan IV, and Miss Fortune.
• WBG drafted Nautilus and Bunny, then banned Leona and Rakan as IG chose Atakhan for TheShy and Xin Zhao for Jiejie.
• Lin Heng hovered Shaco in IG's final pick, reigniting discussion of the previous year's Shaco controversy involving Elk and Wei.
• Lin Heng locked in Shaco, confirming IG's first Shaco support in LPL history.
• The teams finalized their lineups: IG had Atakhan, Jarvan IV, Orianna, Miss Fortune, and Shaco, while WBG had Renekton, Xin Zhao, Bunny, Yunara, and Nautilus.

Invictus Gaming's Lin Heng surprised viewers by locking in Shaco support, then used Jack in the Box to block Erha's Nautilus hook and help force Weibo Gaming's bot lane to burn summoner spells. Elk tried to regain his composure while Xiaohu urged the team to stay steady.

• Lin Heng locked in Shaco support, and viewers questioned the unconventional pick.
• Elk laid out a plan with Erha to punish Shaco if he approached invisibly or entered the brush.
• Lin Heng used Shaco's W to block Erha's Nautilus Q, then feared him and helped force his Flash as Elk chased him down.
• The commentators explained how Shaco's box blocked the hook and praised Lin Heng's straightforward play.
• Elk complained that Lin Heng was taking revenge over an earlier mouse-hover incident, and Xiaohu told Weibo Gaming to hold steady.

Weibo Gaming set up to contest the second dragon, and Lin Heng’s Shaco helped them spring a surprise engage that killed Yunara. The fight continued as Renekton arrived from behind.

• Weibo Gaming played cautiously through the early game and gave Invictus Gaming the first dragon.
• Before the second dragon, Weibo Gaming gathered early and prepared to fight while Zika recalled to set up a teleport flank.
• Lin Heng used Shaco’s clone to distract Weibo Gaming’s opponents while the real Shaco sneaked across the dragon pit with Orianna’s ball.
• JieJie secured the dragon, but Xiaohu’s Orianna caught four opponents with Command: Shockwave, followed by Jarvan IV’s combo and Miss Fortune’s ultimate.
• Lin Heng’s Shaco ignited and attacked Yunara, killing her instantly, while Nautilus, Bunny, and Xin Zhao escaped the follow-up damage.
• Renekton arrived from behind as the teamfight continued.

Invictus Gaming won a decisive teamfight through Shaco and Orianna’s coordinated engage, then Joker and Wei killed Yunara again in mid lane. The chapter left viewers joking that Wei had taken revenge on Elk with Shaco.

• Shaco’s prepared box and clone helped Invictus Gaming kill Miss Fortune, Xin Zhao, and Renekton, securing a one-for-five fight.
• Guan Zeyuan and 957 praised Joker’s Shaco play and Rookie’s careful setup for the invisible Shaco-Orianna engage.
• Joker ambushed Yunara in mid lane, forcing her to use Flash, her ultimate, and E before she escaped under her tower.
• Jarvan IV, controlled by Wei, killed the low-health Yunara beneath the tower and Flashed away from Nautilus.
• Viewers joked that Wei had avenged himself on Elk, calling Joker the Shaco king and Elk the Shaco emperor.

Invictus Gaming steadily converted its early lead into a win over Weibo Gaming, while the players exchanged awkward and friendly fist bumps after the match. Lin Heng then joined the post-match interview, where he explained his Taliyah and Shaco picks and hinted that he had more surprises prepared.

• Invictus Gaming used its side-lane pressure and objective fights to close out the game against Weibo Gaming.
• The players fist-bumped after the match, with Uzi greeting Xiaohu warmly while Elk and Jiejie remained stiff toward Lin Heng and Little Wei.
• Little Wei thanked Lin Heng for choosing Shaco, and Lin Heng privately recalled that the pick also fulfilled his mission to tilt Elk.
• Invictus Gaming encouraged Lin Heng to attend the post-match interview, where Yu Shuang asked about his unconventional support picks.
• Lin Heng said he and Rookie had practiced the Shaco-Orianna combination and promised to reveal more surprise picks when the right matchups arose.

After Invictus Gaming beat Weibo Gaming, Lin Heng noticed tension between Elk and Shi Yue, while fans remained unsure how much the win proved about the rebuilt lineup. As IG prepared to face Anyone's Legend, Lin Heng argued that they should strengthen all three lanes and embrace the patch's focus on individual carries.

• Shi Yue invited Invictus Gaming's players to film social-media videos, and TheShy and Wei joined Lin Heng in joking with her.
• Lin Heng noticed Elk watching them with a strained expression, and he sensed that the awkwardness between Elk and Shi Yue went beyond the match.
• Fans praised IG's win over Weibo Gaming but worried that Ning and Uzi had only performed adequately and urged the team to build form ahead of the playoffs.
• IG stayed late to study Anyone's Legend, and Coach Danny warned the team about Tarzan's teamfight decisions and the need to secure vision before objectives.
• Rookie proposed picking more aggressive champions, and Lin Heng agreed that IG should strengthen all three lanes rather than focus narrowly on points or safe drafts.

Lin Heng urged IG’s veterans to abandon cautious play and reclaim their lane-dominant form, prompting Uzi and the others to embrace a championship goal. After the team planned its approach, Lin Heng declined Shi Yue’s invitation to play Arena and practiced other roles instead.

• Lin Heng told Shy and Uzi to play more selfishly in lane, criticized their weak-side picks, and said IG should aim for the championship.
• Uzi agreed to play for lane, while the team discussed possible picks and Coach Danny joked that he would still handle draft decisions.
• Lin Heng turned down Shi Yue’s invitation to play Arena, then clarified that he had understood the message as asking him to play a different game.
• Lin Heng began solo queueing across several roles without playing support, and Uzi asked if he was trying to steal their jobs.

Lin Heng practiced top-lane Varus late into the night, prompting TheShy to explain how top laners must track the enemy jungler while maintaining pressure. The team arrived at the venue, where Lin Heng began discussing the day's draft with Coach Danny.

• Lin Heng told Uzi he was practicing other roles to understand how to support his team in the current patch.
• Uzi watched Lin Heng harass Gnar with top-lane Varus, then left for bed without learning what Lin Heng found difficult.
• On the bus, TheShy explained that aggressive laning required predicting the enemy jungler's movements, and described how opponents often ganked him while Weibo Gaming benefited elsewhere.
• The team recalled TheShy's World Championship run and how drawing opponents' attention helped Light have a comfortable game.
• Uzi woke Lin Heng at the venue, where fans speculated about his tired appearance as he went to discuss the draft with Coach Danny.

IG prepared to face AL as Ning claimed he could beat Tarzan. The first game's draft began with IG picking Varus, Sivir, and Xin Zhao against AL's Pantheon and Neeko.

• Ning joked in a pre-match interview and claimed his form was good enough to beat Tarzan.
• Ning told Rookie and Danny he was confident against Tarzan and accepted the possibility of rotating with Wei.
• Miller and PYL discussed the matchup, including TheShy's lane against Flandre and IG's unusual bot-lane picks.
• IG banned Sion, Nautilus, and Poppy, while AL banned Rumble, Jayce, and Taliyah.
• IG picked Varus first, and AL responded by locking in Pantheon and Neeko.
• IG then picked Sivir and Xin Zhao, taking Sivir away from Hope and giving Ning his jungler.

IG surprised AL by flexing Varus into support instead of top, giving IG a comfortable team composition and a strong bot-lane matchup. Varus dominated the early lane, helping Ning secure the bottom Rift Scuttler as the chapter left the game in its opening stages.

• IG picked Varus, Sivir, Orianna, and Ambessa, then revealed Varus would support Sivir while Ambessa went top.
• AL completed its lineup with Ornn, Pantheon, Azir, Yunara, and Neeko.
• The commentators and viewers discussed IG's unusual pick and the matchup advantages it created, including Varus's pressure against Yunara and Neeko.
• In lane, Varus used Arcane Comet and accurate abilities to poke Yunara and Neeko, take control of the middle brush, and force AL's bot lane to avoid fighting.
• Both junglers cleared toward bot, but AL's weakened lane could not contest the river, so Ning secured the bottom Rift Scuttler.

IG's bot lane used Varus's long-range poke to set up an early dragon, then Lin Heng outplayed AL's attempted gank and helped IG win a two-for-zero fight. The chapter ended with AL's bot lane unable to contest IG's dragons.

• Ning anticipated Tarzan's bot-lane gank and positioned nearby, but both junglers left without a fight.
• Lin Heng repeatedly hit Yunara with Varus's abilities, forcing AL's bot lane to retreat as IG started the first dragon.
• Tarzan and AL's bot lane attacked IG, but Lin Heng dodged Neeko's ultimate with Flash and rooted Yunara with Varus's ultimate.
• Lin Heng and Uzi killed Yunara, while Ning occupied Pantheon and Uzi finished Neeko after Pantheon and Kael tried to retaliate.
• IG won the fight two-for-zero, leaving AL unable to stop them from taking dragons.

Invictus Gaming overwhelmed Anyone's Legend in the first game, securing the win with an aggressive Varus pick and a dragon-focused strategy. Hope proposed changing Anyone's Legend's bot-lane approach for the next game, while Lin Heng and Danny anticipated his Ashe and Seraphine picks and planned to split them up.

• At ten and a half minutes, Invictus Gaming secured the second dragon with their lead.
• At sixteen minutes, Tarzan failed to steal the third dragon, was caught by Varus's ultimate, and died.
• At twenty-one minutes, Invictus Gaming won the fight for Hextech Dragon Soul, then used Baron pressure to break Anyone's Legend's defense.
• At twenty-eight minutes, Invictus Gaming took a second Baron and ended the game in one push.
• After the loss, Hope suggested picking Ashe and Seraphine next game, or switching to Aphelios and scaling if they were banned.
• Lin Heng and Danny predicted Anyone's Legend would pick Ashe and Seraphine and agreed to split them up.