In the MSI and the team’s first official international tournament, Bilibili Gaming successfully advanced through the Play-In stage. Their opponent was a well-known name in the League of Legends scene – Cloud9. However, before the showdown, BLG was considered slightly favored over the representative from the LCS region.
Although BLG won 3-0, it is undeniable that Cloud9 posed significant challenges for the LPL representative. The efforts of Blaber and Berserker were commendable. At one point, C9 even took the lead against BLG. However, C9 lacked a star player who could secure victories for the team, while BLG had Bin and Elk performing exceptionally well.
After the match, Yagao was very confident in his interview responses, admitting that BLG’s 3-0 victory over C9 was because the LPL representatives wanted it that way. Yagao shared: “Yesterday was ON’s (BLG’s Support) birthday. Therefore, we all wanted to finish the match as quickly as possible. In fact, we had already booked a restaurant, so we couldn’t be late.”
Yagao’s surprising comments indicate that even though C9 held several advantages, BLG was still too strong compared to the LCS representative. Yagao’s remarks also imply that BLG never let the match slip out of control and that the game flow and score were exactly as the LPL representatives intended. Moreover, this serves as evidence that the gap between the LCS and LPL is widening, even though both are considered Major regions in the League of Legends scene.
This is their first win as they enter the Group Stage of an international-level tournament. BLG may face difficulties against bigger names. However, at this moment, BLG has proven that they are not at MSI 2023 just to play around or learn. BLG wants to win, and their players will do everything they can to bring the best results for their team.