The third stage of the LPL group matches has reached a critical point. Both the Peak Group and the Nirvana Group each have one remaining spot for advancement. On the previous match day, LNG, with a record of 1-7, suddenly surged, sweeping TT 2-0 and keeping their hopes alive on the Knights' path. If they win against EDG next and UP loses to LGD, LNG can qualify, though this scenario is unlikely given EDG's strong strength.

On the same day, in two other matches, TES defeated WE to secure second place, while IG won 2-1 against WBG. IG, with two more points than BLG, has now risen to second place in the Peak Group. If they beat WE next and then BLG on the 28th, IG will secure a top-two spot in the Peak Group. Although IG won against WBG, the match itself was quite obscure in terms of gameplay.

In the first game, WBG led by over 10,000 gold but played so timidly that IG managed a comeback. Early on, Xiaotian ganked top and secured first blood on TheShy. Continuing to focus there, four players ganked repeatedly; by 15 minutes, Gwen was 1-4. Although IG’s mid and bot lanes farmed normally, the huge deficit in top and jungle was too much. The two carries couldn’t hold the line, and IG lost every team fight. At 30 minutes, WBG still led by 11,000 gold.

With such an advantage, WBG could have won team fights easily, but when Baron respawned, they lacked vision in the pit. IG secured the small dragons first, and despite WBG’s 11,000 gold lead, IG took the Dragon Soul. The strangest part was TheShy’s 2-9 Gwen chasing four WBG players alone, while his teammates scattered and avoided engaging directly.

In the second game, WBG started strong. At 7 minutes, a 4v4 river fight saw WBG execute a perfect team wipe with zero deaths. Their lineup had three initiators, and the players finally showed no hesitation, crushing IG to even the series. However, in the decider, despite early leads each game, WBG collapsed after losing a dragon fight. IG snowballed and won decisively, with Shy’s performance on Qiyana dominating the match.

Losing the first game was tough to swallow. If anyone on WBG had dared to make a play, they wouldn’t have had a reason to lose. After the match, during the interview, Xiaotian looked utterly defeated, head down and lips pressed tight, clearly frustrated. Honestly, the jungler gave his all in these three games, constantly ganking and helping teammates secure kills, but the team showed no response in team fights after gaining advantages.

Despite his efforts, they still couldn’t win, leaving nothing more to say. WBG’s current issue is that no one steps up. Light’s Jhin in the first game had a godlike start, but by the end, his damage was over 4,000 less than Gazi’s. Huanxi’s Rumble, despite a strong laning phase, dealt less damage than TheShy. Oddly, the top laner and AD carry both dealt less damage than their own jungler.

A Rumble and a Jhin, both with big advantages, yet their damage output was lower than Poppy’s. Honestly, these two were really underperforming. Xiaohu tried his best in this match, with no significant laning disadvantages and decent team fight performance. Liu Qingsong, however, was careless—he liked to give kills away during big leads and often wandered in team fights, showing poor discipline. It seems Redmi’s judgment was accurate; he was mainly blamed for the first game’s turnaround.

Conclusion:

After losing to IG, WBG’s chance for a direct playoff spot is very slim. With a 5-7 record and two games left, even if they win both, they can only tie AL’s current 7 points. To qualify directly, they must win both remaining matches and hope AL loses both theirs. Checking AL’s schedule, they still face WE, a match they cannot afford to lose. Thus, JDG and WBG are almost certain to take the Knights’ path.

So, where do you think WBG’s problems lie?

Feel free to leave your thoughts and join the discussion!