BLG’s dark past causes backlash against XUN

Since BLG set new records at the LPL World Championship, their public image has utterly fallen apart. Many dark histories of BLG players have been exposed. The most unbearable fact for viewers is that BLG players were so obsessed with playing Dou Shou during the Worlds that they skipped ranked practice. Netizens counted that BLG’s top laner BIN, AD carry ELK, and support ON played more Dou Shou games than ranked matches during the event. Many fans joked that it’s no wonder BIN couldn’t practice his “excavator” champion during matches, since the “excavator” in Dou Shou isn’t strong enough.

As netizens dug deeper, many viewers discovered that JDG’s jungler XUN was actually the regular Dou Shou partner for BLG players. Both top laner BIN and support ON frequently played Dou Shou with jungler XUN. This revelation led to XUN receiving heavy online abuse from many BLG fans, who labeled XUN as a “bad apple” and accused him of sabotaging BLG players even after leaving the team. However, most viewers think BLG fans are just blaming others unfairly, since BLG players themselves neglected their duties.

Problems arise within BLG’s team atmosphere

As BLG players’ reputations outside continue to deteriorate, ON responded in an interview explaining why he played Dou Shou during the Worlds. ON said BLG’s official matches at the Worlds were poor, which affected everyone’s mentality and emotions. That’s why the whole team chose to play Dou Shou with XUN to adjust their mindset. ON’s statement sparked heated discussion, with many viewers believing that BLG’s biggest mistake by management was firing jungler XUN. After all, XUN helped top laner BIN and support ON manage their mentality. Without XUN’s intervention last year, BLG might have been eliminated in the Round of 16.

As the discussion gained momentum, LPL champion mid laner DOINB sharply criticized the situation during a livestream. DOINB said BLG management’s biggest error in the offseason was not firing XUN, but letting go of coach tabe. DOINB pointed out that AL’s players have less potential and ceiling than TES and BLG, yet under tabe’s leadership, AL became the best-performing team in LPL. This shows how crucial a good coach is for a team’s improvement. Finally, DOINB said if BLG apologizes to tabe in the future, there is hope for his return, since BLG’s players have greater championship potential than AL’s.

Zhu Kai reveals the real reason tabe left

Although many BLG fans want tabe to return, LPL champion coach Zhu Kai recently revealed on livestream that tabe will never come back to BLG because what tabe wants cannot be provided by BLG’s players or management. Zhu Kai said tabe never had a voice in BLG; neither players nor management listened to his advice, making it difficult for him to help the team grow. The clearest example is BIN’s champion pool, which has not improved at all in recent years — he hasn’t even mastered the "excavator" champion throughout the Worlds.

In contrast, after joining AL, tabe’s influence skyrocketed. AL’s management follows tabe’s recommendations for player acquisitions, and this year’s AL roster was chosen by tabe for Aixiao. Many viewers agreed with Zhu Kai’s statement, believing it’s justified since BLG’s management gives too much power to players. During last year’s Worlds final, ELK replaced coach Dawei in instructing Left Hand to pick Ahri, which many viewers mocked. (In the do-or-die match between T1 and BLG, the coach wanted Left Hand to choose Sylas against Galio, but ELK insisted on Ahri, whose 3-0 opening performance was ineffective.)

Conclusion

BLG as a team is truly unpredictable. When BLG is ahead, both support ON and top laner BIN can be very aggressive verbally. However, when BLG falls behind, the whole team shows operational mistakes and mental breakdowns, especially considering BIN and ON have played professionally for so long, yet they still need jungler XUN to soothe them, which is quite absurd. What do you think — will BLG undergo roster changes in the future?