After a BO1 placement phase in which Royal Never Give Up and Oh My God finished last in their respective groups, both teams were placed into the Nirvana Group alongside four other squads. Out of the six teams, two would qualify for the ongoing Knight’s Rivals, while the other four saw their split come to an end. But that wasn’t all — of those four, the bottom two would also see their year in Tier 1 come to a close, as they won't participate in the LPL Summer Split.

It was later confirmed that these two teams were relegated to the League of Legends Development League (LDL), China’s academy league. This decision ensures that both OMG and RNG remain active throughout the rest of the year, rather than being sidelined until 2026.

A format that's sparking debate

In an Esports landscape — and especially in League of Legends — where teams and leagues constantly seek stability, often through closed league systems, the LPL format that eliminates teams from an entire split raises serious questions about its economic viability. Player and coaching staff salaries, along with the various operational costs of a team, are largely supported by sponsors whose backing typically relies on guaranteed competition over at least the medium term.

OMG and RNG won’t be completely without competition until 2026, as one might have thought — both teams will take part in the LDL, China’s academy league. This means we’ll get to see matchups like OMG vs. OMG Academy or RNG vs. Royal Club during the summer. It remains to be seen whether these LPL teams can perform and regain a strong competitive level in hopes of returning to the top tier of Chinese League of Legends.