Bilibili Gaming was one game away from lifting the Summoner’s Cup last year. They led 2-1 against T1 in the Grand Finals. However, brilliance from Faker, once again, denied the LPL from winning. BLG has had a shaky year, but they seem to be peaking at the right time as they head into the final international event. A Chinese midlaner has yet to win the World Championship, and Knight is hungry to become the first player to do so. Can Knight topple the Korean midlaner dynasty and take BLG to the summit?
Bilibili Gaming Roster
- Chen “Bin” Zebin – Chinese Top Laner
- Yang “Beichaun” Ling – Chinese Jungler
- Zhao “Shad0w” Zhiqiang – Chinese/Italian Jungler
- Zhuo “Knight” Ding – Chinese Mid Laner
- Zhao “Elk” Jiahoa – Chinese Bot Laner
- Luo “On” Wenjun – Chinese Support
- Fu “BigWei” Chien-wei – Chinese Coach
BLG started the year by choosing Yan “Wei” Yangwei as their Jungler and letting Peng “XUN” Lixun go. After a disappointing Split 1, they added Beichuan to the roster. Both junglers played during Split 2, but eventually Beichuan became the starter. Wei would leave after Split 2. BLG brought Shad0w in for Split 3. Beichuan and Shad0w would split time throughout the final Split.
BLG’s Road to Worlds
BLG had a lackluster beginning to 2025, finishing fourth in Split 1. They struggled to find consistent form in Split 2 until the Playoffs. Only Anyone’s Legend defeated BLG during the Playoffs, in the Upper Bracket and Grand Final. BLG only lost one game to the other teams during this stage.
Their MSI performance was disappointing as they lost 3-0 to T1 and AL. They almost lost to FlyQuest, barely beating them 3-2. EWC was worse as they bowed out, losing to G2 2-1. They remained near the top in the Regular Season, but were nothing special. They took off during the Playoffs, going undefeated to become the Split 3 champions and qualifying for the World Championship as the LPL first seed.
Which Jungler Starts?
Image from League of Legends courtesy of Riot GamesHeading into the World Championship last year, there were questions about who would be BLG’s jungler. They started with Wei and then changed to XUN for the rest of the tournament. Coming into the event this year, those questions remain, but with different junglers. Both Beichuan and Shad0w have played for BLG throughout Split 3. Beichuan has a higher ceiling, but a lower floor.
During the Playoffs, both players came in for the other to save BLG. However, Beichaun had terrible performances in the Upper Bracket and Grand Final. On both occasions, Shad0w came in to steady the ship and helped BLG win both series against Top Esports. Shad0w will likely start the Swiss Stage, but might see changes mid-series.
Knight Toppling the Korean Mid Laner Dynasty
During teasers in the past two World Championships, Knight has talked about becoming the first Chinese mid laner to win the World Championship. He wants to topple the Korean dynasty. However, on both occasions, Faker stopped him from achieving his goal. Knight must find a way to overcome Faker and become the greatest Chinese mid laner of all time. He is already a consideration for that mantle, but a World Championship victory will cement his place. Even during BLG’s struggles this year, Knight has managed to stay competitive with the best of the LPL. Can he finally achieve his dream and become a legend?
Expectations
BLG were the best team in the LPL during the Playoffs; however, they enter the World Championship as a wildcard. They have not been the best LPL team for the majority of the year, and the questions surrounding their jungler remain. They should still make it out of the Swiss Stage and, barring a difficult draw in the quarterfinals, at least make the Semi-Finals. BLG qualified through Swiss with a 3-2 record, defeating G2 Esports on both occasions, to then face the LCK 1st seed, the past two years. They beat both GenG and HLE, the only difference being that they won against WBG last year but fell in 2023.
Upcoming Journey
BLG enters the Swiss Stage at the World Championship in Pool 1. Their potential opponents are: KT Rolster (if Invictus Gaming wins the Play-In), T1 (if T1 wins the Play-In), Fnatic, 100 Thieves, and PSG Talon.
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