BLG’s efforts in the third stage were “all wasted.”

As the LPL’s elite team, many IG fans expected IG to advance to Worlds. Yet, IG’s first-round playoff picks worried them. Many thought JDG was the most favorable opponent for IG to beat, while facing EDG could cause a loss. But after the BO5 series between IG and EDG concluded, numerous IG fans noticed that IG’s current strength is overwhelming. With just one player—either top laner TheShy or AD carry Gala—making a move, IG can easily crush EDG.

On the other hand, JDG, underestimated by IG fans, experienced a “small surge” during the playoffs. In the first round, JDG faced BLG and won two consecutive games, pushing BLG into a dire situation. If BLG hadn’t switched junglers mid-series to bring in Beichuan, BLG might have become LPL’s first “joke team.” Since BLG chose to face JDG intentionally, losing unexpectedly to JDG would have made them a laughingstock online. The sudden jungler swap also sparked much discussion among viewers.

After watching jungler Beichuan’s performance, BLG fans collectively praised him as the best fit for BLG’s all-Chinese roster. Many noted that Beichuan never lost to IG while on BLG, whereas jungler Shadow suffered consecutive defeats against IG. Fans believe if BLG hadn’t changed junglers and continued to develop synergy with Beichuan for another season, the team would be stronger, rather than sidelining Beichuan all season and only recalling him last minute to “put out fires.”

IG interview reveals main reason for their improvement!

After IG’s dominant win over EDG, IG’s jungler WEI and AD carry GALA were interviewed by the host. When asked about the source of their growing strength, both WEI and GALA openly credited IG coach Dan Shen. Especially WEI admitted that his team fight positioning, early game counter-ganks, and resource map calls were all taught by Dan Shen. Dan Shen’s post-match response further frustrated many BLG fans.

During the post-match interview, Dan Shen responded to WEI’s public praise but downplayed his role, stating he didn’t teach WEI any special skills. WEI’s rapid growth is due to his own strong learning ability, and Dan Shen only did what any normal coach would do. Many BLG fans, after hearing this, lamented that BLG’s biggest issue compared to IG is the lack of a good coach.

BLG fans believe IG is improving daily under coach Dan Shen’s guidance, while BLG’s coach Da Wei is seen as ineffective, seemingly unsure what to teach the players. BLG’s draft picks are sometimes very questionable. Many BLG fans openly admit in fan forums that BLG players’ futures are being held back by their coach alone. Some even blame BLG’s management, saying they should stop internal conflicts over junglers and instead find a good coach and training staff.

Conclusion

After reading many BLG fan discussions, I noticed that BLG players have finally stopped blaming the jungler and are now pointing fingers at the coach. Do you think the biggest gap between BLG and IG is really the coaching? IG and BLG are about to face off in a key playoff match—do you think IG will easily crush BLG like in the regular season? After all, many BLG fans believe that with jungler Beichuan back, IG is no longer BLG’s rival.