On a November evening, Xiye sat in front of the camera in the live broadcast room, seriously preparing for the upcoming Legend Cup event. This past year, the frequent changes between player and coach roles, along with the continuous extension of his journey, have enriched Su Hanwei's 2024.
“I still enjoy the atmosphere of the arena and the team more.” Upon returning to Shanghai from Europe, Xiye mentioned during an interview.
1. Although Creme has been on the competitive scene for over four years, this is his first year with so many opportunities to step onto the international stage. Compared to the older brothers in the team, Lin Jian's experience in major competitions seems somewhat lacking. Thus, at the beginning of the summer transfer period, TES General Manager Guo Hao approached Xiye, hoping he could take on the role of mid-lane coach and provide necessary guidance and support to the newcomer mid-laner, Creme. However, the initial contact between the two was not a perfect match, but rather went through a bit of “tugging.”
“Actually, when Brother Hao first invited me to join, I initially refused because at that time I really didn’t have the idea of changing my identity.”
During the summer transfer window, while preparing for the Legend Cup S1, Xiye wanted to focus on the development of his streaming career. Born in 1997, he has been in the esports scene for over a decade, having appeared on the international stage multiple times with different teammates and even winning a gold medal at the Asian Games.
The ups and downs of his professional career and impressive tournament results prove that Xiye possesses the flexibility to integrate into diverse tactical frameworks and a vast technical reserve. These factors made him Guo Hao's top choice for the mid-lane coach position. However, for Xiye at that time, the focus of his life was to plan and carve out a career development path that belonged to him.
“One sincere point about Brother Hao is that even when I initially expressed my refusal, he still gave me a lot of very practical advice as a friend, helping me plan for my future.”
After several heartfelt exchanges, Xiye's thoughts began to change. “During that time, Brother Hao talked to me for several evenings, and what impressed me the most was that his desire to achieve results and his philosophy of leading the team aligned with my own thoughts. After careful consideration, I felt that returning to be a mid-lane coach was a rare attempt for me and I could learn a lot, so I ultimately decided to join TES.”
On May 27, TES officially announced that Xiye joined the team as a mid-lane player, taking on the role of mid-lane coach within the team.
2. “When I first met Little Cream, I thought he really looked like a child. In the game, he is also very daring to play and very skilled.” The two adapted to their roles as “master” and “apprentice” more smoothly than expected, and it didn’t take long for Xiye and Creme to adjust to their new dynamic, leading to significant improvements in the team’s communication and coordination after Xiye's arrival.
Xiye stated that the transition from player to coach initially brought a different perspective. “As a player, what I had to do in the game was to respond to various unexpected events; as a coach, I need to prepare responses to all kinds of unexpected events from a god's-eye view and provide the best solutions for different situations. Of course, more importantly, I need to cultivate the players' judgment and thinking in critical moments.”
In the 2024 LPL Summer Split group stage, TES achieved an undefeated record, with Creme earning multiple MVP titles. During the EWC Esports World Cup in July, facing opponents Chovy and Caps, whom they had lost to at MSI, Creme still delivered impressive performances.
“Creme's progress and changes are quite surprising; he can quickly adapt to the heroes assigned by the coaching staff and handle different hero matchups more swiftly.” When discussing Little Cream's improvements, Xiye gave a candid evaluation. “An excellent mid-laner should possess many qualities, but in summary, there are three key points: mechanics, game sense, and confidence. Lin Jian is a player with refined mechanics, and I usually help him more with hero selection and game sense after the laning phase.”
Creme was selected for the 2024 LPL Summer Split regular season's third-best lineup.
3. At the end of September, TES set off for Europe, beginning their S14 journey. This is also Xiye's third trip to the World Championship, and he is still wearing the team uniform, but this time he is participating in the event in a completely different role.
“The feeling of the World Championship is very different, especially after experiencing the atmosphere on-site; it really gets the blood boiling. There was a moment when I really wanted to jump in and play, haha.”
Unlike his “master,” S14 is Creme's first time entering the World Championship. Helping him quickly adapt to a relatively unfamiliar competitive environment became Xiye's top priority.
“Because I have previous experience in the World Championship, I understand the players' feelings better. Since it’s Lin Jian's first time at the World Championship, apart from guiding him in regular training, I can also provide him with more help in adjusting his mindset.”
After the Swiss round, TES advanced to the top eight with a score of 3-1. In just over ten days of competition, Creme faced several top international mid-laners, and his damage per minute and damage conversion rate ranked first among all participants, making Lin Jian's performance in the first round of the World Championship quite remarkable.
Although the team ultimately could not advance further to a higher stage, xiye still affirmed Creme's performance in this World Championship: “As a first-time participant in the World Championship, Lin Jian did not show signs of stage fright; he still played in his style as much as possible.”
4. After the World Championship, xiye returned to the streaming room and engaged in a new round of the Legend Cup competition. xiye admitted that returning to the professional arena over the past few months has changed him a lot: “The experiences during this time made me feel that the team atmosphere and work mode are what I enjoy and want more. If there are opportunities in the future, I will definitely return to the stage.”
The constant change of identity from player to coach and back to player, along with the continuous exploration of the unknown, has shaped and enriched xiye's journey throughout this year. Not only him, but we have also witnessed many former legendary players gradually returning to the esports scene after the passage of time, revitalizing themselves in different roles on this passionate and challenging ground, continuing to write their immortal chapters.
They inspire the next generation with their experiences, proving that age and identity are not obstacles to pursuing dreams. As long as there is fire in the heart, one can shine and illuminate the path forward from any position. This is not only an affirmation of personal ability but also a legacy and promotion of the esports spirit, making this realm of esports more diverse and exciting.
