Golden rain slowly drifted down onto the stage of the Star Sea Cup Grand Finals, reflecting the excited and youthful faces of the Star Sea Team members, as well as the boundless enthusiasm of countless spectators.
This esports spectacle, which had lasted for several months and swept across the entire nation, finally concluded with a perfect and infinitely memorable period in the epic chapter of Star Sea Team's reverse sweep victory.
However, the end of the feast was not the end of the story, but the prelude to a new journey.
On the night immediately following the Grand Finals, "Star Sea Live," the primary organizer and streaming platform for the event, posted a massive thank-you poster on its official homepage.
The background of the poster was the brilliant golden rain from the Grand Finals stage, while the foreground featured the emblems of all sixteen teams that participated in the Star Sea Cup main event, encircling the brightly shining Star Sea Cup trophy at the center.
Above the poster was a prominent headline: "Salute to Every Warrior, Thank You for Every Passion!"
Simultaneously, Lin Haoming, the CEO of Star Sea Live, rarely published a heartfelt long article on his personal social media account and the platform's official account.
"The Star Sea Cup has concluded, but the excitement in my heart has yet to subside," Lin Haoming began, directly expressing his feelings.
At the start of the article, Lin Haoming directly expressed his feelings, "First and foremost, the highest respect must be paid to tonight's champion, Star Sea Team, who created the 'reverse sweep' miracle.
You used unyielding determination and peak skill to demonstrate the ultimate esports spirit. This trophy is rightfully yours!"
"Similarly, we must give applause to the powerful opponent, the defending champion Forbidden City Peak.
Thank you for delivering such a spectacular series. Your tenacity and strength were the greatest motivation for Star Sea Team to break through their limits. You showed the demeanor of a king; though defeated, you are still glorious."
The article did not stop at praising the two finalists but expanded the scope of gratitude to everyone involved in the spectacle.
"We must thank all sixteen teams that stood on the Star Sea Cup main event stage!
Whether they were established powerhouses with deep foundations, ambitious new capital-backed teams, tactical wildcards, or tenacious dark horses—even those grassroots teams that competed solely with passion and camaraderie, without a professional coaching staff...
Every appearance, every struggle, and every drop of sweat and tears you shed for victory collectively formed the most solid and moving foundation of the Star Sea Cup.
Without you, there would be no such magnificent spectacle!"
"We must thank the thousands of teams and players who fought in the preliminary City Tournaments, Internet Cafe Tournaments, and online qualifiers but did not make it into the main event.
Your participation is the best interpretation of 'heroes are not judged by their origin' and the purest flame of the esports dream.
The glory of the Star Sea Cup belongs to every one of you!"
"We also want to thank all the staff working both backstage and front-of-house, the passionate Commentator and Yaoyao in the commentary booth, and every single Summoner who watched the screens and cheered us on!
It is your support that gave the Star Sea Cup such immense vitality!"
This grand and heartfelt letter of gratitude quickly resonated widely and received high praise from the player community.
In particular, the mention of grassroots teams and players who failed to reach the main event made many feel the warmth of respect and recognition.
The comment section was filled with blessings for all the teams and fond memories of the tournament.
Immediately afterward, "Riot Games" officially released a major announcement.
The announcement first highly affirmed and thanked the Star Sea Cup for its successful staging and all participating teams, specifically commending Star Sea Team's championship miracle and Forbidden City Peak's regal demeanor, while also mentioning the moving moments and surprises brought by teams such as Veteran Team, Qiming Team, and Shu Road Mountain.
"The success of the Star Sea Cup signifies that the league of legends esports ecosystem has ascended to a new level.
We have seen the power of professionalization and systematization, as well as the glimmer of grassroots dreams. This is just the beginning."
The announcement then shifted focus, introducing the content all players cared about most:
"To welcome a broader future and provide Summoners worldwide with a fairer, more strategically deep, and more engaging competitive experience, we will conduct an all-region shutdown and maintenance from 12:00 AM to 12:00 PM tomorrow, officially updating to the 'New Era' version!"
"'New Era' Version Update Summary:"
"1. Rune System Overhaul: The original runes and rune pages will be abolished, and a completely new, entirely free Talent System will be fully implemented. Players can freely customize exclusive talent combinations before the game based on their champions and tactics, significantly increasing strategic depth!"
"2. Currency Unification: In-game currency will be unified into Blue Essence. Existing Influence Points will be automatically converted to Blue Essence proportionally. Blue Essence will primarily be used to unlock new champions."
"3. Veteran Player Compensation: For players who previously purchased runes, we will provide full equivalent or even exceeding compensation in Blue Essence based on their historical investment. Thank you for your continued support!"
"4. New Champion Debut: An extremely unique and powerful new champion—'The Weapon of the Faithful, aphelios'—will join Summoners Rift with the new version!
He possesses five main weapons that can be cycled through, has no fixed E Skill, and every match is a brand new experience! (High operating difficulty; please choose carefully)"
"5. Map and Jungle Optimization: Summoners Rift visual effects will be upgraded, and some terrain will be slightly adjusted. Jungle monster models and attack effects will be updated, and the names of the jungle item series will be optimized to better fit the world view."
"6. Balance Adjustments: Extensive balance adjustments will be made to champions, items, and runes. Please see the full update announcement for details."
The announcement concluded: "The arrival of the 'New Era' signifies a brand new start.
We believe this refreshed Rift will foster more diverse strategies, more spectacular plays, and even more thrilling legends. Please look forward to it!"
As soon as the official announcement was released, it instantly ignited the passion of all players!
Forums, bulletin boards, and player groups completely exploded!
"It's finally here! The Talent System! No more saving Influence Points to buy rune pages!"
"aphelios! His skill description sounds so complex and so cool! Reserved for the dedicated mains!"
"The map looks better! I look forward to the new version!"
"The compensation plan looks quite generous. Riot Games did well this time!"
"Hurry up and update! I can't wait to study the new talents and the new champion!"
The excitement of transition overshadowed the slight disappointment of the tournament's conclusion.
Players were eager, impatient to enter the brand new Summoners Rift, explore the unknown domain, and usher in their own "New Era."
The legend of the Star Sea Cup had concluded, and the golden rain would eventually cease.
But the progress of league of legends never stopped.
The concept of a "Star Sea Cup World Invitational" sweeping across all global regions, and a fairer, deeper game version, were like the rising sun on the horizon, signaling that an even grander journey was about to begin.
Legends never end; they merely change their form and continue to be sung.