After MSI double-champion jungler WEI was focused down by BLG, a lot of LPL fans thought WEI deserved better, since BLG’s other four players together have fewer accolades than he does. WEI’s fans wanted him to get his payback against BLG someday. WEIWEI even signed with IG for the lowest possible salary just for a shot at revenge. Seeing WEI’s determination, many viewers eagerly anticipated the showdown between WEI and BLG, knowing both sides had strong reasons to win.

The BO3 between IG and BLG was called the most exciting series of the year by LPL commentator Guan Zeyuan, thanks to its many twists and turns. For example, in the first round, BLG had a 10K gold lead in the mid-late game, and most viewers thought IG would be crushed. But ROOKIE seized an opportunity to stun and kill BLG’s massively fed Rumble, then BLG’s AD, ELK, made a critical mistake—despite having Flash and ult, he was caught by TheShy’s Ornn. IG then secured Baron and, relying on GALA’s late-game performance, pulled off an incredible comeback from a huge deficit.

Beyond IG’s resilience in the first game, their do-or-die match against BLG also attracted major attention. LPL commentators doubted IG’s draft, with Guan Zeyuan claiming that if BLG protected their double carries, IG would struggle to win. Yet, even when IG was 5K gold behind, they pulled off a miracle teamfight, trading one for five and ultimately winning the series 2-1. AD player GALA earned MVP honors in both victories.

The top AD’s reputation took a nosedive!

After IG’s victory, serious internal strife broke out within BLG. Many BLG fans called for management to replace their jungler, arguing that shadow couldn’t even beat WEI, showing he’s not fit for BLG. However, other viewers felt shadow’s gameplay wasn’t the problem, and that BLG’s biggest issue was some players soaking up gold but not dealing damage—like BIN’s Rumble dying before fights in game one, and ELK’s fully-geared Corki in the decider being instantly deleted by ROOKIE and GALA due to “old man reflexes.”

BLG’s performance outside the game also stirred up plenty of controversy. During the draft, BLG’s AD ELK actually hovered Shaco—a champion with 0% pick rate this season and highly unlikely in BLG’s composition. Though ELK quickly switched to another AD champion, many IG fans saw this as a deliberate attempt to annoy WEI.

After learning about ELK’s actions, many IG fans remarked, “You can pick the wrong name, but never the wrong nickname”—ELK truly lives up to his title as “King of the Little People.” Even before the Shaco incident, ELK had a history of outrageous behavior, such as boasting on stream about bullying viewers’ fountains and favoriting videos of JKL’s misplays. (ELK’s in-game skills seem lacking, but he’s certainly enthusiastic about these off-stage antics.)

Conclusion

BLG’s bizarre antics are endless. Besides ELK, BIN’s stiff posture after matches has long been a focus of fan criticism. While TheShy and WEI, as the winners, bowed respectfully during the handshake, BIN kept a straight back even after losing. Witnessing ELK and BIN’s off-stage behavior, I can understand why no LPL team attended BLG’s anniversary celebration. (Do you think BIN will ever bow during a handshake in the future?)