The Swiss stage of the LOL World Championship is nearing its end with just three match days left. After KT, AL, HLE, and G2 advanced to the knockout stage, only four spots remain. The LPL and LCK regions each have four teams left. Based on strength, all four teams from these two regions should make the quarterfinals, but with TOP Esports facing GEN, their chances are slim. Meanwhile, BLG and T1 have fallen into the 1-2 group and are on the brink of elimination.

If GEN secures the fifth spot, the 2-2 group will be tough for LPL because their opponent could be T1 or even another LPL team. In case of an internal matchup, one team would definitely advance, but if separated, both TOP Esports and BLG have chances. It all depends on the draw. As long as they avoid T1, both LPL teams should be relatively safe since the winners of FLY, MKOI, and TSW are not very strong.

BLG’s 1-2 group match is scheduled for the afternoon of the 24th at 4 PM. The official platform and major streaming sites have already enabled cheering features. Before checking support rates, one might have assumed BLG would dominate their opponent. However, upon looking, it was awkward: on the official platform, BLG’s support rate is only 1:10. While VKS has 30,000 fans cheering, BLG has fewer than 3,000 supporters. BLG’s fan popularity is truly astonishingly low.

On streaming platforms, BLG’s support rate is merely 18%, whereas their opponent VKS enjoys a massive 82%. These votes come from domestic players, making the gap between BLG and their opponent surprisingly large. This is all due to BLG’s own performance. Had they not lost to 100T and G2, they wouldn’t be so underestimated. Therefore, in this final do-or-die match, BLG really cannot afford to lose, or it would be extremely embarrassing.

Every World Championship, FPX’s Iceland incident resurfaces. This time, it’s not just fans discussing it; the two main figures involved in the “golden relationship” recently spoke out. During a recent livestream, Xiaotian was asked about the Iceland incident. He openly stated: “There are many things you don’t know. If what he did to me happened to any of you, you would never forgive him in your lifetime.”

Later, a viewer asked Tian to review the Iceland Prince situation. Xiaotian replied: “There’s nothing to review. I didn’t want to play Prince originally; I was practicing Qiyana and Kha’Zix with an 80% win rate in scrims. But before the match, the coach told me not to play those champions and to pick Prince instead. Seems the draft was problematic that year.” After Xiaotian’s remarks, Doinb responded: “The Iceland matter can no longer be discussed. I’ve already promised Sister Xiao Bi.”

During the third round of the Swiss stage, MKOI’s bot laner Supa picked Vayne in a match and paid tribute to Uzi during the post-game interview, which instantly increased discussions about Uzi. Recently, when Uzi was playing ranked matches, a viewer asked when he would stream again. Uzi replied: “Be patient. Streaming isn’t on my list right now.” It seems Uzi has no plans to stream in the near future and may not return to streaming at all.

Later, when asked about the draw, Uzi said he hadn’t received any official invitation. Honestly, it’s quite strange that at our home venue, Uzi isn’t even allowed to make an appearance. Subsequent draw guests included Xiye drawing the fifth round of the Swiss stage and Zizai closing the draw for the knockout stage. Zizai’s live draw was effective, but it seems few foreigners recognize him. Having Uzi close the quarterfinal draw would probably be more fitting.

After losing to 100T and then G2, BLG’s performance in this year’s Swiss stage has truly frustrated fans. Despite holding the best seed from LPL, they have now reached a do-or-die match. If BLG could have won three straight like AL to reach the knockout stage, fans wouldn’t be cheering for the opponents on home soil. Let’s just say the next game must be a fight to restore some pride.
What are your thoughts on BLG’s support rate?
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