by Bilibili Gaming (BLG) continued their impressive resurgence at the 2024 League of Legends World Championship by eliminating the top LCK seed, Hanwha Life Esports (HLE), in a thrilling 3-1 quarter-final.
The victory secured BLG’s place in the semi-finals, where they will face Weibo Gaming in an all-Chinese showdown.
Entering Worlds 2024 as the top seeds of China’s LPL and South Korea’s LCK respectively, BLG and HLE promised a high-stakes clash.
WELCOME TO THE #WORLDS2024 SEMIFINALS, @BILIBILIGAMING! pic.twitter.com/niYSSIkexL
— LoL Esports (@lolesports) October 18, 2024
Despite their dominance in the LPL throughout the year, BLG’s early struggles during the Swiss Stage, including losses to LNG Esports and T1, had placed them on the brink of elimination.
They recovered with key victories over PSG Talon and G2 Esports, making it to the knockout stage.
In contrast, HLE had a strong start, defeating PSG Talon and G2 Esports before suffering a setback against Gen.G Esports.
They clinched their spot in the knockout stage with a hard-fought win over FlyQuest.
The first game saw HLE’s star players shine, with Park “Viper” Do-hyeon’s Ezreal and Kim “Zeka” Geon-woo’s Sylas leading them to a convincing win.
Yu “Delight” Hwan-jung also contributed with crucial initiations on Alistar, allowing HLE to establish an early lead in the series.
BLG answered back with a decisive victory in game two, driven by stellar performances from Chen “Bin” Zebin on Rumble and Zhuo “Knight” Ding on Yone.
With the series tied at 1-1, the third game proved pivotal.
Despite a cautious start, BLG seized control at the 15-minute mark with a massive teamfight win.
Knight’s dominance on Sylas and flawless play from Bin’s Gnar and Peng “XUN” Lixun’s Wukong allowed BLG to snowball to a 36-minute victory, taking a 2-1 lead.
The fourth game began with a slow pace, but tensions quickly escalated as both teams clashed repeatedly over objectives.
BLG’s ability to outlast HLE in crucial teamfights, including a decisive battle at the 33-minute mark where they secured both Drake and Nashor, proved to be the turning point.
Zhao “Elk” Jiahao’s standout performance on Jinx, alongside Bin’s contributions on Jax, helped close out the series after a 40-minute thriller.
With the victory, BLG became the second Chinese team to advance to the semi-finals, securing at least a 3rd-4th place finish and a guaranteed $178,000 in prize money.
HLE, meanwhile, exited Worlds in 5th-8th place, taking home $100,125.
The win not only underscored BLG’s resilience but also set the stage for a historic all-Chinese semi-final clash, promising another spectacle as the journey to claim the Summoner’s Cup continues.
The #LCK Champions are out of #Worlds2024. pic.twitter.com/oMUKfFJMkl
— LoL Esports (@lolesports) October 18, 2024
