The playoffs of the first stage of the LPL have officially concluded. On the last match day, JDG and BLG battled for the championship. The two teams only played four games, and BLG easily defeated JDG to win the title. Not even five games were played, which was quite surprising. JDG's top laner and AD performed extremely poorly in this BO5. Xiao Xu was repeatedly dominated by Bin, with three warrior picks all becoming weak points; only tank picks allowed him to survive.

Bin being awarded the FMVP through direct comparison sufficiently illustrates the significant gap in the top lane. Gazi also played particularly anxiously in this match, with his Corki repeatedly diving recklessly into the enemy's grasp. The only game they won was thanks to V神 playing Lulu like a protective shield, constantly safeguarding Gazi to allow him to survive and output damage. As the core carry of the team, underperforming in an AD-favored version is truly unacceptable; Gazi really needs to reflect on himself.

The remaining players, V神 and HongQ, truly gave their best effort, performing the best in the team every match. JunJia also occasionally had moments, but it couldn't compensate for the top laner and AD's disastrous performances. Even before team fights started, the top lane had already fed the enemy carries. After watching the match, one can only say the two teams' states were completely on different levels. However, JDG's loss was also expected, as BLG's form after the New Year has been nearing peak performance.

After BLG's championship win, the seed placements for the two LPL Pioneer Tournament teams were confirmed: BLG as first seed, JDG as second seed. After the match, Tian and Liu Qing-Song conducted the live draw for the Pioneer Tournament teams. The final grouping results are as follows: Group A: BLG vs BFX, G2 vs TSW; Group B: JDG vs GEN, LYON vs LOUD. The group stage uses a double-elimination BO5 format; losing two matches means direct elimination.

BLG facing BFX should be relatively low-pressure; if they play steadily, they are likely to win. In the same group, G2 against Vietnamese TSW should also be victorious, but TSW's strength should not be underestimated. After Warhorse joined, this team has transformed. However, the overall level of the LCP region is not high, so even if they dominate domestically, there is still some gap compared to the European region. G2 playing steadily shouldn't pose major issues.

JDG versus GEN is truly somewhat hopeless. No matter how you look at it, JDG's chances of winning are less than 30%. Top laner Xiao Xu, who was dominated by Bin, will definitely be crushed by Kiin. For the remaining three lanes, the jungler matchup offers no advantage, and the bot lane gap is also significant. For mid lane, it depends on Da Chao's form; if he triggers his weak-foot buff, HongQ has an opportunity. But this year's Da Chao seems different.

The Brazilian team versus LYON, the latter should likely win. LCS, as a former member of the four major regions, even if underperforming, still has a gap compared to wildcard regions. Moreover, this team has many unconventional strategies. LYON's jungler even pulled out top lane Vayne and jungler Ornn compositions in the finals, and they won the match. Such combinations normally shouldn't win easily, but LYON's raw strength overpowered C9, indicating strong team capability.

The only regret in this Pioneer Tournament grouping is that LYON is not in the same group as BLG. Bin, who was embarrassed by the Indian God King at last year's World Championship, would have had a chance for revenge if they were in the same group. But after LYON moved to Group B, they might not advance to the knockout stage. GEN is firmly advancing from Group B, and the other spot is likely JDG. Unless LYON's entire team erupts, it's unlikely they can defeat JDG.

Conclusion:

After watching JDG's finals performance, one can only say that for this team, advancing to the knockout stage in the Pioneer Tournament would already be considered a success. If LPL wants to win the championship, hopes must rest on BLG. Bin has stated: he wants to crush Kiin, win the Pioneer Tournament championship, and prove himself as the world's best top laner in this international tournament. Hopefully, he can achieve it.

So, what do you think are the odds for JDG versus GEN?

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