I don't think I can ever remember a season where I am not 100% positive what I saw on the pitch truly represents the teams, the players that comprise them, etc. etc.
In the first regional, we had numerous mass-disconnects without admins that proved weird, and that heavily affected the highly significant, and first ever in-season LAN that had pretty hefty meaning for the first end-of-split LAN. (Also, the in-season LAN only allowed for two regions to play, which I still find a little strange, competitive-wise, but I digress..)
Then you had the ongoing cheater issue in ranked, namely bots. I mean. It was REALLY bad. It got so bad that pros had to create their own discord-driven private matches, of which numerous pros mentioned were good, but hardly the same. Pros out of routine, playing less hours, and just all around a little less in the flow. It felt like a COVID-era adjustment where players were making due, but not in their normal routine that makes them as good as we expect them to be. I know it bothered them because pros consistently mentioned that it make them feel less prepared.
Throw in MENA's server issues (no longer operating!) related to the Middle East military conflict, and you get a whole other odd variable put into the mix of the 2026 year.
In the end, every team had to deal with what they had to deal with, so no pro would make an excuse, I'm sure. But, purely from a fan standpoint, I can't help but wonder how this season would have gone if all the other factors had not come into play. Maybe nothing. Maybe a lot. I really don't know. I just know that I hope things can get a little back to normal next year because I like the pros in their routine and at their best, and I like admins.
In the meantime, Paris is still filled with amazing talent and teams and it should be great, and the French will have plenty of home teams to go nuts over, and I'm here for it.