The 2026 League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational is only three BO5 series away from determining its champion. On the previous match day, another intense battle took place between the Chinese and Korean regions. BLG took on HLE and, after only four games, defeated them 3-1, securing their spot in the MSI finals first. If they win just one more match, BLG will become MSI champions. Looking at the current state and strength of the remaining teams, BLG's path to the Mid-Season Invitational title appears fairly stable.

HLE's performance in this BO5 was truly disappointing. In the first game, Kanavi got caught by jungle camps, his invasions were thoughtless, he fell behind and panicked, and ultimately he threw the game by playing recklessly. Daeny's brilliant move of flexing Cassiopeia to the bot lane was also quite surprising. In the second game, the jungle-support duo completely outclassed their opponents, allowing BLG to easily secure match point. However, the third game saw BLG's draft completely crushed, and HLE managed to take one game back.

In the decisive game, knight's Orianna delivered a flawless performance, leading the team to victory. Before the match, knight had already warned: "Don't let Orianna through." But Redmi didn't believe him. All three games HLE lost were complete stomps, showing that the two teams' skill and form were on completely different levels. Zeka's high-win-rate picks like Aurora and Yone had no impact, and the bot lane—Viper—dominated his opponent in all four games. The gap was far from small.

In the battle for the "World's Top Laner" title, Zeus fell behind for now. He had the counter-pick in all four games, but his performance—except for the Dr. Mundo game—didn't seem to leverage the counter advantage effectively. Notably, in three of those four games, Zeus called for jungle assistance repeatedly, yet Bin still managed to stay close in CS and impact. During the post-match interview, Zeus was asked: "Was there any particularly difficult aspect when facing Bin?"

Zeus replied: "Personally, I don't feel there was anything especially difficult. I remember I've lost to him many times at MSI. My MSI record hasn't been good, so I think that's why. Having the counter-pick in four consecutive games but still underperforming compared to Bin in three team fights is already a sign of problems. If the scores were reversed, Bin would have been heavily criticized. So, in my opinion, Zeus's answer came across as a bit stubborn."

Even if you go 50/50 with a counter-pick, it's already a loss—because you've failed to justify the coach's draft and the jungler's support. However, compared to his other teammates in this BO5, Zeus wasn't particularly terrible. Perhaps because Kanavi helped him so many times, he didn't feel lane pressure, which might explain his comment. But from an objective perspective, in this series against Bin, he indeed fell behind—there's no denying that point.

By reaching the finals, BLG has taken another step toward the Golden Road. With at least a runner-up finish, BLG has once again helped the LPL region secure a fourth World Championship slot. TES, who are already home watching the matches, are probably grinning from ear to ear. With four Worlds spots, if TES can replicate their domestic performance from the second split, they should be able to grab a spot. Who knows, maybe they'll make history again in October.

The next two BO5 series are also quite interesting. G2 faces LYON, and the winner will challenge HLE for a spot in the finals. Barring surprises, G2 should likely win the first match. In the lower bracket final, HLE still seems to have a strong advantage, since they swept G2 3-0 in their first upper bracket meeting. However, G2's form has improved—they even managed to topple T1. If Caps doesn't throw, they might actually have a chance.

Conclusion:

BLG, as the LPL's last hope, has indeed lived up to expectations. Bin's reputation points this year are unbelievably high. If he wins just one more BO5, the title of "World's Best Top Laner" will be well-deserved. However, the finals opponent will certainly be no pushover. I hope BLG can use their two days of rest to study carefully and secure the championship in the most stable way possible.

So, what do you think of Zeus's performance?

Feel free to leave your comments and discuss!