The earth-shattering, ghost-crying five-game series between Siberian Bear and Royal Knights had just concluded, and the entire esports community exploded.
Eight out of the top ten trending topics on Weibo were related to this match:
#SiberianBearsReverseSweep
#FullGameBPSoExciting
#FortyDifferentChampions
#MostExcitingBO5InEsportsHistory
Posts on major forums were refreshing frantically at dozens per second:
"Holy crap, watching that game almost gave me a heart attack!"
"So even these unpopular champions can be played; I'm going to play Bard in ranked too!"
"Now the pressure is on Star Sea Team and White Tiger Team; if tomorrow's match isn't as exciting, it's unacceptable!"
Even many traditional sports media outlets published special reports, calling the showdown "a redefinition of the tactical depth of esports."
Meanwhile, in the Star Sea Team's training room, the atmosphere was so heavy it could drip water.
"Did you all see it?" Coach Jin looked around at the five players. "That's the intensity of the World Championship. Siberian Bear, after falling behind 0-2, managed to turn the tide purely with their deep champion pool."
Forest Wind stared at the data on the screen, his brows tightly furrowed: "They even dared to pick champions like Gangplank and Evelynn. Is our tactical reserve sufficient?"
"What are you afraid of?" A Le slammed his hand on the table. "We've practiced so many strategies; it's time to show them. No matter how strong White Tiger Team is, do they have a reserve of forty champions?"
Su Xiao silently wiped his keyboard, his eyes firm: "No matter what the opponent picks, we just need to play our own game well."
At the same time, in the White Tiger Team's hotel, it was a different scene.
"Siberian Bear proved that in this meta, champion pool is everything," Coach Jin said coldly. "Although Star Sea Team is strong, their champion pool is definitely not as deep as ours."
The top laner expressionlessly wiped his glasses: "I've thoroughly researched Dawn's champion pool; at least three of his commonly used champions are countered by us."
The jungler sneered: "Lüeyǐng's tempo-based jungling is indeed formidable, but what if we ban all tempo junglers?"
The mid laner, the man known as "The Machine," simply said, "I will crush Star Track."
At this moment, all eyes of the world were focused on tomorrow's match.
At the pre-match press conference the next afternoon, the venue was packed with media from all over the world.
As Star Sea Team and White Tiger Team entered from opposite sides, the camera flashes almost blew the roof off the stadium.
The first question was full of gunpowder.
A Korean reporter directly asked: "Star Sea Team displayed many aggressive lineups in previous matches, but against White Tiger Team's perfect operational system, have you prepared new tactics?"
Qin Feng sat below the stage, his brows slightly furrowed. This question was clearly probing their tactical arrangements.
Lin Haoming took the microphone and calmly responded: "We have indeed prepared some special gifts, and we hope White Tiger Team will like them."
When it was the Chinese reporter's turn to ask, the question was even more direct:
"White Tiger Team is known for its perfect operations, while Star Sea Team is renowned for its sharp offense. Coach Jin, are you ready to face Star Sea Team's onslaught?"
Coach Jin adjusted his glasses, his tone calm: "Even the fiercest storm will be blocked by a great mountain."
As soon as these words were uttered, a collective gasp swept through the venue.
This was no longer mere trash talk; this was practically a declaration of war!
After the press conference, #WhiteTigerCoachSaysStarSeaIsAStorm directly shot to the top of the trending searches.
The comment section was instantly flooded by netizens:
"Holy crap, so arrogant?"
"Star Sea Team, charge! Smash them!"
"To be fair, White Tiger Team really has the capital to be arrogant."
"I'm already getting nervous, what should I do?"
Back in the training room, all members of Star Sea Team immediately entered their final preparations.
The coach swiftly drew tactical diagrams on the whiteboard: "According to the data we've collected, when White Tiger Team is on the red side, there's a 73% chance they'll choose one of these three openings..."
The data analyst handed over a thick stack of documents: "These are all the champions White Tiger Team members have used in ranked games in the past three months. There are a few unpopular champions that require special attention."
Even Chen Mo, far away in China, sent a message: "Remember, against White Tiger Team, you can't follow their tempo. Either crush them early, or fight them late-game; absolutely do not fall into their operational rhythm."
A Le looked at the dense markings on the tactical board and suddenly smiled: "What do you guys think, if we bring out that lineup in the first game, will it scare them speechless?"
Hearing this, everyone exchanged knowing smiles.
Yes, they had been preparing for this day for far too long.
That night, the night sky of the Magic City was exceptionally bright. A large number of fans had already gathered around the esports arena, holding up support signs and shouting cheers.
At the Star Sea Team's base, the players were undergoing their final relaxation.
Su Xiao was playing a rhythm game to maintain his hand feel, Dawn was watching anime to relax, Forest Wind was reviewing previous match replays, and A Le was duo-queuing with the support to maintain synergy.
"Everyone get some rest early," the coach said, glancing at the time. "Tomorrow, we will show the world what Chinese esports is all about!"
Meanwhile, at the White Tiger Team's hotel, it was a different scene.
All the players were engaged in high-intensity ranked games, and Coach Jin stood behind them, occasionally making notes.
"Remember, tomorrow's match isn't just about winning," Coach Jin said coldly. "We are going to prove to the whole world who the king of this game truly is."
Outside the window, the neon lights of the Magic City flickered, as if warming up for this battle of the century.
And in every corner of the world, countless players were eagerly anticipating tomorrow's match.
North America, Europe, Southeast Asia... players from all regions were discussing the same topic:
Star Sea Team vs. White Tiger Team, who will win?
Li Rui had logged into his live stream early and was idling, his palms sweating as he watched the constantly rising popularity.
"Brothers, type 'Go Star Sea Team' in the public chat!" he shouted in his fan group.
Instantly, the entire screen was flooded with "Go Star Sea Team" bullet comments.
At this moment, it wasn't just Star Sea Team fighting.
Behind them stood players from the entire Chinese region.
Tonight, is destined to be sleepless.
Tomorrow, will surely go down in history!