The first stage of the LPL playoffs is almost over. On the last match day, WBG and AL clashed in a decisive battle for the final lower bracket spot. While most predicted an easy AL victory leading to a showdown with JDG, Weibo defied expectations. The series concluded in four games, with Weibo moving on to the lower bracket finals to challenge JDG for a place in the grand finals and the Pioneer Tournament. This result was indeed surprising.

Watching the entire series, it was clear Weibo was much better prepared than AL. In the final game, Jiejie's Warwick pick left AL's coaches and players utterly confused. AL's draft was overly conventional, and the players seemed overconfident. Even the usually steady Shanks made frequent laning errors and crucial mistakes in team fights, with basic skill usage being a major issue. The shortcomings of bot laner Hope's laning phase were also fully exposed.

With one carry playing passively and the other throwing, the top lane consistently feeding the opponent, the two Korean import players in jungle and support—who are usually the carries—simply couldn't carry the team (and they had their own issues). This version of AL felt unfamiliar. In hindsight, Tabe's decision to leave the team seems correct, as this squad's ceiling appears visibly limited. After AL's loss, insider Hanyi connected with coach Zhu Kai and revealed the reason for the defeat, which can be summed up in one word: arrogance.

Hanyi disclosed: Someone told me they easily won their scrims 3-0 against BFX and 3-1 against GEN. He suggested this person was surely smiling, as among LPL managers, he's known for being the most boastful. AL's current head coach previously worked with GEN, so arranging scrims with LCK's top teams like the champions and runners-up makes sense. After consecutive scrim wins against the strongest LCK teams, everyone from AL's coaching staff to the players became somewhat overconfident, feeling they could win effortlessly.

As the saying goes, if scrim results mattered that much, Tangyuan would already be the LPL's top mid laner. Both GEN and BFX have already qualified for the Pioneer Tournament. Even if they did schedule scrims, they likely wouldn't have taken them too seriously, as the Pioneer Tournament patch hasn't been officially released yet. Practicing extensively on the current patch isn't very useful. They might have experimented with some off-meta strategies, leading AL to mistakenly believe they were invincible.

When a late-game composition secures an early lead, the standard play is to concede some resources and avoid unnecessary fights, simply stalling safely to reach their power spike. However, AL kept forcing fights endlessly despite their advantage. It's unclear where the players got the confidence to use a late-game comp to brawl against a mid-game focused one. Watching this match, AL simply played with arrogance. One can only say they deserved the loss.

After WBG advanced to the lower bracket finals, their next opponent is JDG. Both teams are full Chinese rosters, guaranteeing at least one all-Chinese team will represent LPL at the Pioneer Tournament this year. It's hard to predict which team will make it. Personally, Weibo seems slightly more likely, because although JDG's series against BLG ended 3-2, their actual gameplay was quite poor, relying heavily on opponent mistakes to stage comebacks.

WBG's players generally have slightly stronger laning prowess than JDG's. However, this team is known for being unpredictable. Against disciplined, macro-oriented teams, they can match or even surpass their opponent's structure. But when facing chaotic, "abstract" teams, they tend to become even more chaotic themselves. JDG leans towards that "abstract," unpredictable style. When Weibo faces them, it's unlikely to be a clean, stable series—the potential for an upset is significant. Both teams have a real chance.

Conclusion:

With AL eliminated, BLG now carries the main hope for the Pioneer Tournament this year. Regardless of whether WBG or JDG advances, neither seems entirely reliable for international competition. Let's hope Bin doesn't let us down this time and strives to bring the Pioneer Trophy home. The LPL hasn't won an international title in years and desperately needs a championship to maintain fan engagement and league热度 (heat/enthusiasm).

So, who do you think will advance to the finals, Weibo or JDG?

Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!