The 2023 season has been a rollercoaster for Weibo Gaming (WBG). The team drew significant attention by recruiting renowned players like Xiaohu, Light, Karsa, and Crisp. However, they faced early exits in both the Spring and Summer LPL seasons. In fact, by May, WBG had to “firefight” Karsa’s declining performance by bringing in Weiwei.
Moving into the 2023 World Championship (CKTG), WBG also experienced a tough journey, suffering losses to G2 Esports and KT Rolster. The team could only secure a spot in the quarterfinals after defeating Fnatic in a decisive match. In the upcoming quarterfinals, WBG will face a real phenomenon named NRG from the LCS region.
Since the start of the tournament, Weiwei has always been the starting jungler for WBG. However, fans have recently noticed signs indicating that Karsa might replace him in the upcoming quarterfinals. Specifically, Weiwei has been spotted continuously solo queueing in recent days. Meanwhile, even though he is only a substitute, Karsa seems to be the one practicing with the WBG roster.
The potential change in jungler position (if it happens) for WBG in the upcoming match is causing fans to feel anxious. Weiwei, although not particularly standout, has been performing adequately in his role as jungler recently. Moreover, changing the jungler right before the quarterfinals of the 2023 World Championship could disrupt WBG’s gameplay.
However, this can also be seen as a necessary preparation move by WBG’s coaching staff for the upcoming journey. Essentially, WBG’s next opponent is considered a relatively low-ranked team named NRG from the LCS. Perhaps WBG believes this is a suitable opponent to test Karsa’s effectiveness, which is why they have him practicing with the team.
Regardless of the choice, WBG’s ultimate goal remains victory. Hopefully, this team can overcome NRG whether they choose to field Weiwei or Karsa as the main jungler. Otherwise, they will face immense pressure from their fans.