Recaps

AL and IG entered the second game’s draft with AL prioritizing bot lane and IG targeting jungle picks. IG’s unusual Ziggs pick baffled both teams and the viewers, leaving AL unsure how to finish its draft.

• AL banned Karma, Corki, and Jayce, while IG banned Poppy, Wukong, and Vi.
• AL picked Seraphine, and IG took Ashe and Nocturne; AL answered with Miss Fortune and gave Flandre Sion.
• IG picked Twisted Fate for Rookie, prompting AL to ban Caitlyn and Gwen while IG banned Galio and Sylas.
• IG picked Ziggs, confusing the commentators and AL, and Flandre wondered whether IG planned to flex Ashe top.
• Xiangkes told AL to focus on its own picks, as the team remained unsure how to respond to IG’s draft.

IG used an Ashe top strategy backed by Shen, Nocturne, and Twisted Fate to protect TheShy and pressure AL’s Sion. The game began with Ashe pushing Sion under his tower while IG’s support and jungler guarded the top side.

• IG locked in Ashe, Nocturne, Twisted Fate, Ziggs, and Shen, revealing a strategy centered on protecting Ashe top and using the team’s global abilities.
• The commentators explained that Ashe could pressure Sion early while Ziggs safely cleared waves bot, and that IG’s champions required little practice for their players.
• Lin Heng’s Shen went top to ward for TheShy, while Ning’s Nocturne placed a ward near AL’s Raptors to track the enemy jungler.
• Ashe began auto-attacking Sion and pushing him toward his tower, while Ziggs farmed quietly against Miss Fortune and Seraphine.
• When Jarvan IV approached top, Shen and Nocturne were already in the river contesting the Rift Scuttler, and Shen’s control ward helped prevent a gank.
• Ashe continued suppressing Sion under his tower, leaving him unable to clear waves effectively as IG protected the lane.

IG used Shen’s global ultimate alongside Nocturne and Twisted Fate to catch opponents while TheShy’s Ashe built a large top-lane lead. The chapter ended with the combo killing Taliyah in mid and leaving AL unable to safely push lanes.

• TheShy’s Ashe pressured Flandre’s Sion in top lane while Nocturne warded the top-side jungle, and IG gave up the first drake.
• Nocturne, Twisted Fate, and Shen combined their ultimates to catch Jarvan IV near the Void Grubs, and Shen took the kill.
• Nocturne secured three Void Grubs, and TheShy nearly took the top tower while reaching level eleven without leaving lane.
• TheShy hit Taliyah with Ashe’s arrow as Nocturne activated his ultimate, then Twisted Fate, Nocturne, and Shen chained their crowd control to kill her.
• IG’s coordinated catches and Ziggs’s waveclear prevented AL from safely pushing lanes.

Miller and PYL praised IG’s lineup for how easily its players could coordinate, then watched Lin Heng’s Shen and Rookie’s Twisted Fate rescue TheShy’s Ashe from a gank. Ashe turned the fight around for two kills, and the chapter left the commentators reflecting on the trust and teamwork behind the play.

• Miller explained that IG’s lineup needed little coordination beyond Lin Heng timing Shen’s ultimate, and PYL agreed.
• Jarvan IV, Taliyah, and Sion moved to punish TheShy’s Ashe for pushing to the top-lane tier-two tower while Shen and Nocturne were unavailable.
• Lin Heng teleported top as Shen, took Sion’s ultimate with Flash and E, and saved Ashe while Rookie’s Twisted Fate joined the fight.
• Ashe dodged the enemies’ abilities and, with Twisted Fate’s help, killed Jarvan IV and Sion while Taliyah escaped.
• Miller and PYL celebrated the rescue and counterattack as an example of trust, teamwork, and players committing to win for one another.

IG used Ashe as the core of their strategy to defeat AL 2–0, ending the deciding game in twenty-three minutes. After the win, the team celebrated their strong teamwork, and TheShy appeared to have regained his former top-lane dominance.

• IG rescued Ashe from AL’s attack, then used Twisted Fate and Shen to kill Taliyah while Nocturne stole the Mountain Dragon.
• IG turned the play into a push that took AL’s top inhibitor tower and a Nexus tower, then used the Herald to claim the mid tier-two tower.
• At twenty minutes, Nocturne, Twisted Fate, and Shen killed Jarvan IV and AL’s support before IG took Baron.
• IG used Baron pressure to push through mid and bot, won the final fight, and ended the game at twenty-three minutes.
• IG defeated AL 2–0, and TheShy shook Lin Heng’s hand before the team embraced and celebrated.

After Invictus Gaming defeated Anyone's Legend, Lin Heng checked the points he had earned from his recent matches and his perfect debut. He spent them on Mechanics, leaving his skill there at 96 as the team prepared to rest before facing JDG.

• After the win, Lin Heng and his teammates joked about reviewing the match, while Uzi said he needed more practice on Ziggs.
• Uzi teased Lin Heng about playing every champion onstage, reminding him to check his system points.
• Lin Heng discovered he had earned 58 points, including 48 for the achievement [Make an LPL appearance and complete a perfect debut].
• Lin Heng spent 50 points to buy five skill points and reviewed his status, which showed his Mechanics, Game understanding, Teamfighting, and Awareness had each improved by one.
• Lin Heng put all five skill points into Mechanics, raising it from 91 to 96.

Lin Heng’s father urged him to return to Tsinghua after nearly four years away, but Lin Heng asked for one more year to pursue his championship dream. The call ended without agreement, and Lin Heng sat outside reflecting on how he had defied his father to become a professional player.

• Lin Heng asked his teammates to play solo matches with him after dinner, but his father’s phone call interrupted their plans.
• Lin Heng’s father asked whether he was still in Shanghai and still playing games, then urged him to return to school because he could not extend his leave again.
• Lin Heng told his father he still wanted to win a championship and asked for one more year to achieve results.
• Lin Heng’s father asked whether he had money and told him to take care of himself before ending the call.
• Lin Heng sat outside in the cold and remembered how he had pursued gaming from childhood, entered Tsinghua at sixteen, and joined Royal Never Give Up’s second team at seventeen.

Lin Heng reflected on his determination to pursue his esports dream, then joined his teammates for a solo tournament. He defeated Rookie in a close Zed duel by predicting and following his Flash, leaving the team amazed at his calculation.

• Lin Heng reaffirmed that he would pursue his dream without regrets, and TheShy found him outside and encouraged him.
• Lin Heng and his teammates began their solo tournament, and Little Wei, Ning, and Danny each lost a hundred-yuan red packet to Lin Heng.
• Rookie stepped up to challenge Lin Heng, and they chose Zed for their duel.
• After Rookie reached level six first and attacked, Lin Heng saved his ultimate to dodge Rookie's shurikens and chased him with W.
• Rookie Flashed to avoid Lin Heng's Q, but Lin Heng predicted the escape, followed with his own Flash, landed Q, and killed him.
• Lin Heng explained that he had predicted the safest place for Rookie to Flash, leaving the others astonished by his calculation.

Lin Heng beat Uzi in a close Lucian solo, then challenged TheShy to a Riven duel. TheShy’s play sharpened as the match went on, leaving Lin Heng recalling the famous story of TheShy’s airborne Riven.

• Uzi and Lin Heng chose Lucian for their solo, and Uzi landed several difficult Qs early in the match.
• At level three, Uzi and Lin Heng went all-in; Lin Heng won by a narrow margin after landing one extra auto-attack.
• TheShy accepted Lin Heng’s invitation to play Riven, despite claiming he had not played the champion in ages.
• Lin Heng and TheShy traded aggressively with their Riven passives stacked, and TheShy’s mechanics improved as he adapted to the champion.
• TheShy used the minion wave cleverly and grew more precise, prompting Lin Heng to recall the saying about TheShy’s Riven flying through the air.

After losing several champion solos to TheShy, Lin Heng absorbed skill points and won the later matches, earning TheShy's respect. He then analyzed JingDong Gaming's shotcalling weaknesses for Danny, ending with a confident remark about beating Top Esports.

• Lin Heng lost several champion solos to TheShy before winning their Ambessa match by a narrow margin.
• Lin Heng won the later Sylas, Aatrox, and Rumble solos, and TheShy admitted he could no longer beat him in his current form.
• Ning declared Lin Heng the winner of Invictus Gaming's first solo tournament and jokingly dubbed him the team's Dr. J.
• Danny asked Lin Heng to analyze JingDong Gaming, and Lin Heng identified their lack of a reliable shotcaller and Coach Tabe's cautious approach as weaknesses.
• Danny noted that JingDong Gaming had beaten Top Esports 2-0, and Lin Heng responded that he would not lose to an opponent like Naiyou.

After preparing for JingDong Gaming, Lin Heng watched BLG versus Weibo Gaming and discussed support picks and team compositions with host Xia An. Their conversation ended with Lin Heng encouraging her pride in the LPL, while Xia An wondered whether the region could overcome its four-year Worlds title drought.

• Lin Heng finished preparing for JingDong Gaming with Danny, then watched the recording of BLG versus Weibo Gaming instead of continuing ranked practice.
• Lin Heng declined Shi Yue's invitation to play Haidou because he was preparing for a match.
• Xia An asked Lin Heng about the strengths of engage and enchanter supports and how supports fit into team compositions.
• Lin Heng said enchanters were strongest on the patch, while roaming engage supports such as Pyke were useful for building early leads, and explained that teams rarely built their systems around supports.
• Xia An explained that she wanted professional knowledge to avoid embarrassing the LPL, and Lin Heng encouraged her while saying he hoped the pros could win a Worlds championship.
• Xia An felt gloomy about the LPL's four-year Worlds title drought and reflected that competitors should pursue first place.

IG faced JDG in the group stage, with Wei starting in the jungle and the teams preparing for a match shaped by their early draft choices. IG surprised everyone by drafting TheShy’s Morgana into Renekton, leaving JDG unsure how to handle the matchup.

• Lin Heng said BLG’s strong laning and improved roster made them a team IG needed to watch, then prepared to face JDG.
• IG started Wei in the jungle against JDG, whose lineup featured Gala, Vampire, HongQ, Junjia, and Xiaoxu.
• JDG first-picked Malphite, and IG answered with Dr. Mundo, LeBlanc, and Caitlyn before JDG banned Neeko and Karma.
• IG picked Morgana, while JDG chose Renekton and Azir; the casters questioned Xiaoxu’s Renekton pick into TheShy’s expected Gnar.
• Lin Heng locked in Blitzcrank, and the final lineup revealed that Morgana was going top while Blitzcrank supported Uzi’s Caitlyn.
• Tong Xi explained that Morgana could safely pressure Renekton and resist Malphite’s ganks, while Tabe warned Gala to watch for Blitzcrank’s hook.

Invictus Gaming used aggressive level-one and level-two plays to give Renekton and Lulu early disadvantages, then Dr. Mundo invaded JingDong Gaming's bot-side jungle with lane support. The chapter ended with Dr. Mundo taking both Blue Buff and Gromp while Junjia could not contest.

• Blitzcrank hooked Renekton in top lane after Morgana pressured him, forcing Renekton to Flash before Lin Heng Teleported back to bot lane.
• Blitzcrank hooked Lulu at level two, allowing Caitlyn to trap and heavily damage her while Yunara failed to turn the fight around.
• Mao Mao and Tong Xi noted that Invictus Gaming's lane advantages gave Dr. Mundo room to invade and that JingDong Gaming had few ways to break his passive.
• Dr. Mundo invaded Junjia's bot-side jungle while Blitzcrank waited nearby and Lin Heng positioned in the tri-brush to assist.
• Dr. Mundo took Junjia's Blue Buff and Gromp after Caitlyn, Blitzcrank, and Rookie arrived before JingDong Gaming could contest.

Invictus Gaming controlled the early game and secured an advantage through patient play, while JingDong Gaming struggled to force a fight. At the Third Dragon, both teams finally faced a crucial engagement, and Blitzcrank flashed in to hook as the chapter ended.

• Wei stole two of Junjia's camps, giving Dr. Mundo a path to reach level six first and secure control of the First Dragon.
• TheShy dominated Xiaoxu in Top Lane, then took the Top Outer Turret with Dr. Mundo's help at thirteen minutes.
• Invictus Gaming won the Second Dragon after Malphite failed to find an opening to engage.
• At the Rift Herald, Lin Heng hooked Gala and forced his Flash, and Invictus Gaming secured the Herald without a full teamfight breaking out.
• JingDong Gaming began the Third Dragon while Malphite held off Invictus Gaming, and Rookie poked the carries from over the wall.
• As the teams prepared to fight over the Third Dragon, Blitzcrank flashed in for a hook.

Invictus Gaming used Blitzcrank’s hooks, Caitlyn’s traps, and strong zone control to overwhelm JingDong Gaming and take the first game. After winning the third-drake fight, Invictus built a huge lead, secured Baron, and ended the game in a single push.

• At the third drake, Invictus Gaming killed Gala and HongQ after JingDong Gaming’s engage went wrong, then took the drake.
• Invictus released Rift Herald in mid and took the outer turret, widening their lead as Uzi’s Caitlyn accumulated items.
• At the fourth drake, Invictus Gaming used Caitlyn’s traps and repeated hooks to keep JingDong Gaming from contesting, then secured the drake and Baron Nashor.
• After Baron, Lin Heng placed a control ward near JingDong Gaming’s high-ground wall while Invictus pressured the turret with Baron-empowered minions.
• JingDong Gaming tried to engage with Renekton’s Teleport and Malphite’s Flash ultimate, but Uzi escaped and Invictus Gaming won the fight.
• Invictus Gaming ended the game with a single push, finishing 13–3.

After Invictus Gaming won the first game against JingDong Gaming, the team discussed its performance and considered whether its success depended too much on Lin Heng’s unconventional strategies. As the second game began, Danny proposed a more confrontational composition, and his teammates agreed they wanted to fight.

• In BLG's lounge, ON analyzed Lin Heng’s Blitzcrank composition and discussed how other teams could adapt it.
• After the first game, Invictus Gaming’s players praised their performances while Danny worried that they relied too heavily on surprise picks.
• Viewers debated Invictus Gaming’s calmer style and argued over whether Lin Heng’s unconventional play would work against stronger teams.
• Mao Mao and Tong Xi reviewed Shy’s Morgana pick and hoped the second game would feature more clashes.
• Before the second game’s draft, Danny suggested a more confrontational composition, and Wei and Rookie agreed while TheShy joked about playing ARAM.

Invictus Gaming and JingDong Gaming drafted aggressive lineups for their second game, with Lin Heng choosing Camille as support. The chapter ended as Xiaoxu cautiously entered top lane, still wary of Lin Heng repeating his previous game’s early attack.

• JingDong Gaming picked Orianna, Jarvan IV, Neeko, Miss Fortune, and Yone, while Invictus Gaming chose Akali, Nocturne, Ambessa, Kai'Sa, and Camille.
• Lin Heng locked in Camille as support, prompting Mao Mao to call the unusual pick conventional by his standards.
• The casters noted that Invictus Gaming’s lineup could dive JingDong Gaming’s immobile carries, while JingDong Gaming had tools for large teamfights.
• As the minions reached top lane, Xiaoxu hugged the river wall and cautiously followed his wave, fearing another early attack from Lin Heng.

Lin Heng’s level-two Camille helped Invictus Gaming turn a jungle contest into a kill on HongQ’s Orianna and a string of early advantages. JingDong Gaming’s bot lane fell behind on recalls and farm as Wei secured an extra camp, leaving Invictus Gaming in control of the opening game.

• Lin Heng’s Camille punished Neeko in lane, while Xiaoxu’s top-lane trades left him at a health disadvantage against TheShy’s Morgana.
• Junjia entered Invictus Gaming’s Raptors as Wei’s Nocturne arrived, but Lin Heng rotated from bot lane and forced Junjia to retreat.
• Lin Heng and Wei invaded JingDong Gaming’s jungle, drawing Gala and Neeko away while Uzi collected the bot wave and Rookie moved toward the skirmish.
• Wei and Junjia contested Blue Buff with Smite, but Lin Heng stunned HongQ’s Orianna, and Lin Heng and Rookie chased her down for the kill.
• Wei took JingDong Gaming’s Gromp and later the Rift Scuttler, while Uzi returned to lane with a farm and item advantage and Gala was forced to delay his recall.
• Lin Heng asked Wei if he was feeling good, and Wei replied that the game felt amazing.

JingDong Gaming tried to turn the early pressure into a fight, but Junjia’s top-lane countergank only briefly helped Xiaoxu before TheShy and Lin Heng’s Camille killed him twice. The chapter ended with TheShy and Lin Heng waiting between Xiaoxu’s towers and knocking him airborne as he returned to lane.

• Gala told Junjia and God V to engage freely and said JingDong Gaming would rely on its teamfighting mechanics.
• Xiaoxu baited TheShy into chasing him, allowing Junjia’s Jarvan IV to countergank and kill TheShy.
• Lin Heng’s Camille joined TheShy in top lane and helped kill Xiaoxu after he returned from base, giving TheShy a kill and tower plating.
• With TheShy’s advantage threatening the second Rift Scuttler, Xiaoxu chose to play safely while his team fell silent.
• After Xiaoxu respawned and headed back to lane, TheShy and Lin Heng waited between his first and second towers, and Ambessa knocked him airborne.

Lin Heng’s Camille repeatedly ganked top and then helped Nocturne and Akali kill Orianna, while Wei’s ultimate enabled Uzi to escape a bot-lane dive. Invictus Gaming gained kills across the map after conceding the first Dragon, and the chapter ended with the team praising Lin Heng’s relentless tempo.

• TheShy and Lin Heng circled around enemy vision and killed Xiaoxu’s Yone between the top towers.
• Junjia took the first Dragon and reached level six, while Wei took the top-side Rift Scuttler and also reached level six.
• Junjia threatened Uzi in bot lane, but Wei used Nocturne’s ultimate to obscure the action and help Uzi retreat.
• Wei flew to mid and engaged Orianna, then Lin Heng arrived with Camille and helped Rookie’s Akali secure the kill.
• Mao Mao and Tong Xi praised Invictus Gaming’s plays as viewers discussed the rivalry, and Invictus Gaming’s players praised Lin Heng’s tempo.

IG defeated JDG 2:0 after Lin Heng helped turn a decisive fight, and the team prepared for its upcoming match against BLG. After the post-match interview, Lin Heng discussed IG’s aggressive playstyle with Danny, who encouraged him to keep leading high-intensity fights.

• Lin Heng kicked Orianna into a wall and trapped her, letting Ambessa kill her before IG wiped out JDG and won the game.
• IG’s 2:0 victory over JDG left BLG as the only one of the five strongest-roster teams they had yet to face, with their match scheduled for three days later.
• Gala visited IG’s room after the match, and Lin Heng exchanged WeChat details with him.
• Lin Heng filled in for Rookie in the post-match interview and joked that IG would win the first split and the First Stand championship.
• Danny asked Lin Heng about IG’s risky playstyle, praised his preparation and shotcalling, and asked him to keep playing high-intensity fights.
• Lin Heng said he had a brilliant plan for keeping the team sharp.

Lin Heng played regular ARAM with TheShy and Danny, discussing champions and learning more about TheShy’s detailed understanding of top-lane matchups. Watching and listening helped Uzi embrace Invictus Gaming’s multi-core playstyle as the chapter left the team preparing to draw out the strengths of different compositions.

• Lin Heng invited TheShy and Danny to play regular ARAM, while the rest of the team chose ranked games or replay review.
• Lin Heng, TheShy, and Danny played their first ARAM game, with TheShy praising Lin Heng’s Quinn play.
• Shi Yue invited Lin Heng to play Hextech ARAM, but Lin Heng declined and started another regular ARAM game.
• Lin Heng, TheShy, and Danny discussed champion strengths and matchups, and Lin Heng learned more about TheShy’s top-lane knowledge.
• Uzi listened to Lin Heng’s champion evaluations and reflected on how to support the team’s multi-core playstyle.

Invictus Gaming prepared to face BLG, with Lin Heng assessing the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses alongside Coach Danny. He recommended targeting BLG through Top Lane rather than relying on the jungle, where IG’s junglers could struggle against Xun.

• Lin Heng and Danny discussed how the team could build varied compositions around players who learned champions quickly.
• Invictus Gaming began preparing for BLG by studying its tactics, habits, and vision.
• Lin Heng judged BLG unpredictable but stronger this year because Viper gave the team a more stable bot lane and raised its floor.
• Lin Heng advised taking a risk and attacking BLG through Top Lane instead of opening through the jungle.

Lin Heng chose to focus Invictus Gaming’s game plan against BLG on Top Lane, while Bin confidently promised to beat TheShy before their highly anticipated match. On January 20, the teams began their showdown with Ning in Invictus Gaming’s starting lineup, and the commentators highlighted Joker’s role as the team’s primary shot-caller.

• Lin Heng told Danny that Invictus Gaming should target Bin through Top Lane, and the team practiced Ban and Pick strategies and vision setups against BLG.
• After BLG beat Top Esports, Bin said TheShy was old and vowed to crush him in their upcoming match.
• Fans debated the Top Lane matchup and the other lanes as both teams entered the match with 3-0 records.
• Guan Zeyuan announced that he and Rita would cast Invictus Gaming versus BLG, and later discussed the matchup and the importance of support-jungle tempo.
• The January 20 match began with Ning listed in Invictus Gaming’s starting lineup, while Guan Zeyuan revealed that Joker was the team’s primary shot-caller.

IG and BLG entered their undefeated matchup, and BLG’s draft seemed to give them an advantage after they took Nocturne and Taliyah to threaten TheShy’s Quinn. Lin Heng’s final pick and IG’s champion swap revealed an unexpected Olaf top and Quinn support, leaving the commentators and venue stunned.

• BLG and IG banned six top laners before BLG picked Renekton for Bin and IG answered with TheShy’s Quinn and Orianna.
• BLG picked Nocturne and Taliyah to target Quinn, while IG took Pantheon jungle and commentators questioned IG’s draft choices.
• BLG drafted Corki and Alistar against IG’s Jhin, while Lin Heng hovered Ornn before locking in Olaf.
• IG swapped their champions, revealing Olaf top and Quinn support and surprising the commentators.