Following the conclusion of the Swiss round in the League of Legends S15 World Championship, just two LPL teams remain in the playoffs. Despite having a somewhat favorable bracket ahead, it still pales compared to the LCK, which is almost guaranteed a spot in the finals. If AL cannot overcome T1, this year's finals will likely be an intra-LCK showdown. Still, given T1’s performance in the Swiss stage, AL’s chances to secure a semifinal berth are quite promising.

The main reason LPL is currently in this predicament is definitely BLG’s unexpected losses and failure to reach the knockout stage. Had they won at least one game against 100T or G2, BLG wouldn’t have been eliminated in the final internal match. If there were three LPL teams in the quarterfinals, the situation would likely be very different. Also, although Top Esports drew G2, international matches always bring some uncertainty.

After BLG was eliminated in the Round of 16, ELK gave an interview to Korean media. When asked about what went wrong leading to missing the knockout stage, ELK admitted that his form wasn't at its peak, and after consecutive losses, team coordination suffered. Honestly, during the Swiss stage with three BO1s and two BO3s, there were no standout plays from ELK; he was dominated in lane and performed averagely in team fights.

Team coordination was indeed poor. Many of BLG’s in-game decisions were baffling, making it seem like the shot-caller was taking the blame. However, the biggest factor affecting player performance was the jungler rotation. During the LPL season, everyone praised the junglers’ honeymoon period, but at Worlds, both junglers lacked major tournament experience and had different playstyles, making sudden substitutions hard for the rest of the team to adapt to.

When Jiejie saw BLG bring Beichuan up in the third game, he immediately initiated a fight. BLG’s coaching staff: this kind of substitution puts both junglers in a tough spot. Shadou won one game but lost the next and was benched, leaving him unhappy. Then Beichuan was brought in for the decider, adding pressure. This was basically training the junglers’ mental toughness, but this isn’t the LPL playoffs — it’s a do-or-die scenario where losing means elimination.

In a BO5, switching junglers after one win and one loss still allows some margin for error, but changing players in the final game of a BO3 is really detrimental to morale. Besides the substitution decisions, BLG’s draft in the Swiss stage was frankly chaotic. Bigwei’s abilities at Worlds have been tested many times, and against top-tier coaches, his drafts just don’t hold up. Nevertheless, BLG chose to trust him, which honestly feels quite abstract.

However, reviewing all this now is somewhat pointless because BLG’s current roster likely won’t last into next year. With a modest goal of reaching the Round of 16 as the top seed, no management would accept these results. Therefore, in this transfer window, the “BLG supermarket” will probably open, and most players on the team are expected to enter the transfer market, with only a few likely to stay.

The most bizarre thing is that BLG fans now want the team to disband quickly. When BLG lost to Top Esports and left the venue, fans immediately shouted for disbandment. Male and female fans even argued offline about this: the men demanded disbandment, while the women told them to leave. The men then retorted, “What does it matter to you if we disband or not?” That fans can fight offline shows just how disappointed BLG has made them.

Conclusion:

As the top seed at Worlds, an LCK team failing to advance past the Round of 16 is indeed embarrassing. Though historically, LPL teams like EDG and LGD have also exited at the Round of 16 as top seeds, their groups included Korean teams, so compared to BLG, it doesn’t seem as shameful.

So, what do you think — will BLG disband?

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