AL lost to WBG 2-3 in the LPL playoffs, falling into the losers' bracket. Having been the second stage champion, AL’s performance has declined since the third stage, struggling to maintain form. Their poor showing against a less dominant WBG in the first playoff round led to significant debate and fan discontent.

After the match, AL’s official account exploded with reactions. Many fans harshly blamed the jungle and support: praising them all year but they ultimately failed. How could Nami walk into that spot without vision? When support dies, the jungler rushes to start fights—how many times have we seen this this year? Every time they give away the biggest advantages! Some fans even gave up and openly called for the team’s disbandment.

During the losers’ interview, AL’s coach Tabe said: this loss is very regrettable. In the final game, we actually controlled the resources but failed to secure the win, which is unfortunate. However, Coach Tabe remains confident, believing that with proper review, the team will improve next time.

Kael, a key player in the final team fight, also admitted during the losers’ interview: my mistake was that my operations were somewhat strange this time.

Because of their strong results in the second stage, AL has already secured a spot in the play-in tournament. Even if they lose the next losers’ bracket match, they can still fight for a chance to qualify for the World Championship by winning the play-in. However, judging by their performance throughout the year, AL has clearly regressed in the third stage. They reached the finals in the first stage and were champions in the second, but their current form in the third stage seems far from championship contention. The team’s ceiling appears limited; without consistently high-level execution and discipline, their weaknesses become exposed. It seems AL relies heavily on Tarzan’s performance—when Tarzan underperforms or is controlled, the whole team’s play becomes awkward.

This victory is a huge confidence boost for WBG, giving the players hope for advancing to the World Championship. After all, AL was the second stage champion, and although their third stage performance was poor, they recently had close matches against top LCK teams. Therefore, this win is very significant for WBG and might lead to even better performances in the upcoming BO5 series.

So, what are your thoughts on this match? Feel free to share and discuss in the comments below.