After a two-day hiatus, the LPL third stage group games are restarting soon. AL and TES, both sitting at two wins, will clash—it's a tough call who wins. TES beat WE and TT in their first two matches, but with weaker opponents, their real level isn't clear. AL also won against JDG and LGD, but their overall performance was quite shaky when they took on BLG.

Hope's laning and teamfighting skills are somewhat behind JackeyLove's, in my opinion. TES has a good chance to secure three consecutive wins. The other match is BLG versus LGD—there's hardly any suspense there; even if BLG experiments with champions, they'll likely take it 2-0. Just before the second week of matches began, AL suddenly announced that top laner Flandre had parted ways with the team, terminating his contract.

Replacing the top laner instead of the ADC—Aixiao's move doesn't mean much for AL, because if the bot lane can't step up, no matter how well Breathe performs, it's useless. The inside story of Flandre's departure is similar to what's been rumored: while the EWC (Esports World Cup) was still ongoing, Aixiao arranged a tryout for another player. As soon as Flandre got off the plane, he was told the team was signing a new top laner. Furious, he didn't even return to the base, and AL quickly signed Breathe as a replacement.

Although Aixiao's actions are contemptible (he had promised there would be no substitute for the top lane), at least he didn't hold up Flandre's contract—that's some conscience. After Flandre left, where he would go became a hot topic. Leakers like Lianlian Hongcha and a former RA manager posted that Flandre would join BLG. This rumor had surfaced early in the third stage but faded away quickly.

But this time, the leak seems slightly more credible, because Aixiao himself liked the post about Flandre joining BLG, and OBGG also shows Flandre has already joined BLG. With Aixiao's hint, it's almost certain that Flandre is going to BLG. However, if he moves to BLG, he'll likely be a substitute or rotate, since Bin is still on the team—BLG won't just keep him idle.

With Wenbo, Flandre, and Bin—three top laners competing for a spot would be incredibly intense. Wenbo is just a temporary fill-in; he might be sent down after a few games to let Flandre start. But whether Bin will return is uncertain. Originally, if Flandre hadn't joined BLG, they would have kept some room for Bin. But now that they have a team-oriented top laner, Bin might even be kicked out entirely.

Of course, keeping two top laners is the best option for BLG. Flandre is more team-oriented, while Bin leans toward aggression. Rotating them could create unexpected advantages in crucial moments. For Bin, this year is a time for growth. With competition pressure and the club no longer indulging him, if he can realize what it means to be part of a team, his individual skill will take a leap and he'll truly become stronger.

BLG is probably waiting for Bin to reflect. Signing Flandre means the management won't make the first move to reconcile. If Bin continues to throw tantrums, his chances of returning are slim. BLG is already on a three-win streak with Wenbo; with a more team-oriented and experienced player like Flandre, their strength will only increase. Bin woke up to a world turned upside down—he said he'd return next week, but now that seems postponed.

Conclusion:

AL's roster changes are truly baffling. Instead of strengthening their weakest position, they kicked out their stable top laner. It feels like AL will have a hard time achieving good results this year. Hope couldn't even hold his own in the AP bot lane meta, getting suppressed every game. Once the World Championship version brings back traditional hard-carry ADCs, the bot lane will only get crushed even harder.

So, what do you think about Flandre going to BLG?

Feel free to leave a comment and discuss!