The League of Legends S15 World Championship Swiss stage has officially begun. On the first day, among the three LPL teams, two secured their opening wins. T1 dominated G2 with Kanavi setting the pace and 369 performing like a god, crushing their opponents. Meanwhile, AL faced HLE in a tight match, where AL fell behind briefly but the mid-jungle duo held firm and reversed the situation to claim their first victory against Hanwha Life.

Before these two BO1 matches, many feared the LPL would lose, but both T1 and AL delivered. Instead, the highly anticipated all-Chinese BLG suffered a shocking upset, falling to the LCS’s third seed 100 Thieves. Everyone saw the game: Bin was heroically defending towers but got solo killed, and even the bench player, Sadbean, couldn’t help but cover his eyes watching. Despite having mid-game advantage, BLG was crushed in teamfights, losing 1-for-5 exchanges.

After one disastrous play lost their lead, BLG kept losing teamfights and the opponent snowballed relentlessly, ultimately resulting in defeat. Many might not know 100 Thieves’ actual level this year; at the LTA regional championship, they lost 3-1 to Brazil’s VKS in the semifinals, and VKS themselves couldn’t beat Vietnam’s TSW in the Swiss stage.

In other words, 100 Thieves’ strength at this Worlds is near the bottom, even weaker than wildcard teams. Yet the LPL’s number one seed still lost. Calling this a "shocking upset" is no exaggeration. It’s clear BLG underestimated their opponents, something even 100T players sensed. Quid, who earned MVP against Knight, openly admitted this in interviews.

Quid said: From the opponent’s perspective, facing a team considered weaker can lead to arrogance, which affected the game. Early on, Bin tanked towers and ignored the enemy top laner’s plays, showing he didn’t respect them as a real threat. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been solo killed in lane. Before the match, Bin was extremely cocky in interviews.

When asked by media about his expectations and confidence for Worlds, Bin boldly declared: He aims to win the championship and prove he is the best top laner. Asked how BLG, as the number one seed, would represent LPL’s style, Bin dismissed other regions and focused solely on LCK, saying although everyone praises LCK’s strength, BLG fears no Korean team.

Once again, the “world’s best top” talk and dismissing all other regions except LCK shows BLG’s arrogance towards LTA, LCP, and LEC teams. Frankly, it’s the same disrespect as before. Fortunately, losing early this year should teach BLG to prepare seriously and not underestimate any team, or else they risk being eliminated in the round of 16.

After the third seed defeated the first seed, 100T quickly showed their attitude, with their official account posting: NA > LPL. Wow, if even the weakest LCS team beats LPL, it really feels like LPL has become the fifth region. Hopefully, BLG will learn from this loss and come back stronger. Personally, I think Beichuan isn’t suitable as a starter right now; Sadbean should play first, and after reaching playoffs, then try Beichuan.

Conclusion:

100 Thieves will exit the league next year, making this their final performance. If BLG wants revenge, it seems unlikely because even if they draw the same group, they will avoid facing each other. The only chance is meeting in the knockout stage. BO1 matches are unpredictable, so with BLG’s recent failure as a lesson, T1 and AL should also be cautious.

So, do you think BLG underestimated their opponents?

Feel free to leave your thoughts and discuss!