BLG Has the Opportunity to Make New History for LPL
With their victory against Weibo Gaming, Bilibili Gaming officially becomes the first “fully Chinese” team to reach the finals of a Worlds championship. It’s hard to believe but true, as until now, every LPL team that has made it to the Worlds finals has had at least one foreign player, even Royal Club in 2013. BLG’s presence in the finals also ensures that LPL maintains its position. But further than that, Bin and his teammates have the chance to create a new chapter in the history of Chinese League of Legends.
Specifically, if they can defeat their opponent in the finals (Gen.G/T1), BLG will be the first “fully Chinese” team in the history of League of Legends to win this tournament. This achievement would even erase many historical “curses” that have been following LPL. First, the “tradition” that LPL would never win the Worlds with a fully domestic lineup. And next, it would also end the winless streak for Bin and Knight at this tournament despite their continuous appearances over the years.
If they achieve this, BLG could even be considered greater than Invictus Gaming in 2018. That year, IG ushered in the era of LPL but their roster included two key foreign players – TheShy and Rookie.
The Opponent Will Also Play a Key Role in BLG’s Campaign
For Gen.G, BLG might feel somewhat relieved, as they were recently defeated by the LCK representative at MSI 2024. In the past, BLG has even defeated Gen.G in two consecutive BO5 matches at MSI 2023 and Worlds 2023, directly causing the former LCK champions to finish empty-handed last season. Therefore, BLG’s historical record against Gen.G does not pose a challenge for the LPL representative.
But with T1, it’s a different story. T1 in the LCK, MSI, or Worlds are very different versions, and BLG won’t know which T1 they will face (if they do) in the finals. Moreover, no LPL team has ever defeated T1 in a BO3/BO5 match at a Worlds tournament. If the opponent is T1, it might be BLG that has to be concerned, as Faker and his teammates can always “shut down” the miraculous journey of any team, no matter how strong, as shown by JD Gaming last year.