BLG’s reputation outside has completely collapsed.

Every LPL transfer window, many “super teams” emerge, but their endings are often tragic. For example, BLG, hyped during the transfer period, was recently swept by OMG and JDG in the De Cup tournament. With BLG failing to earn any points in two matches, they became the second team eliminated from Group B, after WBG. (Only the top three teams in the group advance; both WBG and BLG lack enough small match points, so even if they win later matches, they will miss the playoffs due to tiebreakers.)

After BLG’s four straight small-match losses and failure to reach the De Cup playoffs, backlash hit them hard. Many viewers mocked BLG fans for prematurely “popping champagne.” Furthermore, many LPL fans began questioning BLG’s potential ceiling, considering that the five players and coach didn’t achieve great results at Worlds this year. BLG’s top laner BIN, mid laner Left Hand, and support ON all reached the top 16, AD carry Viper made top 8, and coach DanShen set an embarrassing LPL record as the only coach ranked 17th.

Zhu Kai clears VIPER’s name.

Among BLG’s players, AD carry Viper has taken the brunt of criticism after their losses. Many LPL fans had high expectations for Viper before the matches began. However, those who watched recent BLG games noticed Viper’s performance was subpar; some ELK fans even argued that Viper played worse than ELK, who is the team’s in-game leader. (BLG and WBG will soon face off in the De Cup — who do you think will win?)

As doubts about VIPER’s skill grew, LOL champion coach Zhu Kai reviewed BLG’s matches during a livestream. He believed Viper should bear some blame for the losses. Based on Viper’s De Cup performance, he didn’t show his full strength. Zhu Kai speculated that since Viper recently transferred to LPL, he lacked systematic training, which led to his poor form. (Do you think Viper can return to his peak performance in the future?)

Can BLG still claim the championship?

After BLG’s upset in the De Cup, many LPL fans mocked Zhu Kai as a “no-name” coach, since he had hyped BLG at the start of the transfer season, claiming they would win all titles next year. Seeing these taunts, Zhu Kai shamelessly responded that BLG not winning the De Cup this year was normal, as the De Cup is held this year only, and he had said BLG would win all championships next year, not this year’s De Cup.

Finally, during the livestream, Zhu Kai strongly supported BLG, stating that on paper, BLG is still the strongest team in LPL. He said the main reason BLG lost to OMG and JDG was because mid laner Left Hand didn’t start. As long as Left Hand is in the lineup, BLG can easily defeat opponents. (Previously, GEN’s mid laner Chovy missed the K Cup, leading to GEN’s loss to a Vietnamese team. Similarly, BLG losing to JDG and OMG without Left Hand is understandable. Do you think BLG can dominate LPL once Left Hand returns?)