Introduction: The S15 season has officially begun, and most players have been paying attention to the recent clashes. The World Championship is fiercely competitive, and as the BO3 series unfold, many teams have been knocked out. So far, four teams have qualified: KT, AL, G2, and HLE. Several strong teams are still on the edge, awaiting upcoming matches and group draws. Recently, an unexpected piece of news caught fire online — IG’s offline event in Chengdu became the focus of player discussions across the internet. On the S15 finals day, they will hold an offline event in Chengdu, making IG the first team worldwide confirmed to advance to Chengdu.

The first team confirmed to arrive in Chengdu for S15

Most players are quite familiar with IG. As a top-tier team from the LPL region, they invested heavily this season to assemble a super star-studded roster. Their overall performance was solid, securing the 4th seed in the LPL and qualifying for the World Championship within just one year of formation. Unfortunately, they faced the first-ever format change in the World Championship, where the 4th seeds from LPL and LCK had to compete for a spot in the main event. Their opponent was T1. The final outcome was predictable: IG lost 1-3 to T1, abruptly ending their World Championship journey.

Recently, there hasn’t been much news about IG. Most discussions have focused on roster changes during the transfer period. Unless something unexpected happens, it’s likely that IG will re-sign many players, possibly even renewing contracts for the entire roster. Just when everyone thought the players had entered the off-season, an official announcement sparked widespread online buzz. A venue in Chengdu revealed IG’s offline event, which will last for an entire week. Furthermore, the organizer responded that IG is expected to arrive at the venue as a full team on November 9th.

Fans following the global finals know that the S15 final is scheduled for November 9th. It must be said that the organizers really understand how to leverage popularity. Even though IG only participated in one BO5 match, their popularity remains very high. This offline event is not free; tickets must be purchased to attend. The organizers are truly maximizing the hype. Even though IG didn’t make it into the main event, they still get to hold an event in Chengdu. It seems such activities are beyond the players’ control and can only be decided by the LPL officials and team management. Perhaps the investment was too large, and they want to recoup some value in the final stretch.

Many players jokingly remarked that it’s surprising IG is the first team to land in Chengdu for the S15 finals. The organizers have really captured the essence of esports. Honestly, IG attending this event might be better suited as a shadow team in the LPL region for scrims. That way, they could shoot documentaries, improve training, and maybe even attend the Chengdu event as practice partners. Attending in that capacity might generate more goodwill and sell tickets more easily. The current situation feels more like a fan cash-grab, and judging by the reactions, many netizens don’t support it.

Farewell thoughts

Teams competing in the S15 World Championship have been fighting with all their strength, yet IG managed to "get a head start," becoming the first team to land in Chengdu. It’s unclear what the officials were thinking. Previously, during the play-in stage, IG had a controversial incident involving a female Faker cosplay. Now, this absurd Chengdu landing event happens again. It feels like both the officials and team management are solely focused on hype and how to recover this year’s investments.

Dear viewers, what are your thoughts on this matter?