Anyone's Legend stand as China's last hope at the
2025 Mid-Season Invitational, having been forced to eliminate their fellow LPL representatives, Bilibili Gaming. With a
daunting challenge ahead, the team must now adapt quickly to face T1—and potentially Gen.G soon after. In an exclusive piece, toplaner and former World Champion
Li "Flandre" Xuan-Jun sat down with Sheep Esports to discuss the victory, the road ahead, scrim schedules, and his career.
How did you manage to beat BLG so convincingly in a 3-0 sweep? What made this win possible?
Li "Flandre" Xuan-Jun: "I have to admit, we really didn’t expect it to be a 3-0 like this. Game one in particular felt really hard to win. We knew they’d come prepared—especially after that fight at the toplane tier 2 tower, we took a really bad engage right around the time we had to contest Rift Herald. That gave them a chance to take over lanes and control the waves, and it made things really hard for us as a team. We didn’t know what to do. Mentally, it was difficult—it was a tough moment for the whole team. Luckily, we pulled through in teamfights and played solidly enough to make a comeback. I feel fortunate that we clutched the win in that first game. They really caught us off guard with their strategies.
You’re facing T1 tomorrow and possibly Gen.G after that. What sets AL apart from those teams, and what do you think will give you the edge to win MSI?
Flandre: For tomorrow’s match against T1, they’re a team that really likes to have early level one fights. We really need to be careful and prepare for that. Sometimes, they also pull out unexpected counterpicks—especially around botlane. We watched their match against Gen.G yesterday, and they were so close to winning with those picks. We have to be very wary of those kinds of surprises. Both T1 and Gen.G are really good at side lane control, and that was one of our weaknesses against BLG today. So we really need to improve on our macro.
You once said your passport felt like a book of regrets. How important is it for you to make sure Vancouver doesn’t become another regret for you?
Flandre: In my mind, I don’t want to think about potential regrets right now. What we really need to do is concentrate on our next matches. Tomorrow, we’ll face T1, and we have to reflect on and learn from our recent games to prepare well. There’s so much we need to review—our drafts, our strategies, and more—so we can perform better and avoid regrets. Focusing on the present is the most crucial asset for a pro player.
After winning Worlds in 2021 with EDG and taking a break in 2023, you’ve returned to the LPL and are once again at the top. How do you reflect on your career overall, and where do you feel you are now in your journey?
Flandre: When I decided to return to the LPL, I treated it as a new start—like I was a rookie and a challenger again. What I need to do is keep a good mindset and focus on honing my gameplay. All I can think about right now is what I need to do when we face T1 in our next match, and then possibly get our revenge against Gen.G. I want to enjoy the show and every single moment of playing on stage. That’s the best thing for pro players.
You’ve already had a career many would dream of. Do you feel proud of what you’ve achieved, or do you still feel there’s more left for you to accomplish?
Flandre: After winning Worlds, I felt so happy—but that emotion eventually faded. Then came a new year, new games, new matches, and new challenges. You always need to focus on what’s in front of you instead of relying on the happiness from past victories. You’re still just another pro player like everyone else. For this team, the key is making sure we’re on the same page and playing together as a group. We want to treat everything as a new experience and keep moving forward, step by step. I don’t think about my past or when I won Worlds.
Wong "Tabe" Pak Kan recently shared that your team trains with a very intense schedule—three scrim blocks a day, and constantly playing League. Some in the West feel that this kind of regimen is extreme or even unhealthy. What’s your take on the way the LPL and LCK train compared to the West?
Flandre: I don’t know much about how Western teams scrim, but speaking from my experience, our way of scrimming feels the most suitable to me. We have our three blocks—2 PM, 7 PM, and 10 PM—and in my eyes, that’s the right amount. It really helps us because it gives us the chance to train so many different strategies, drafts, and ideas.
A lot of people have complimented me on how many champions I can play, and that’s all thanks to the way we practice. I get to try them in scrims, and that’s what gives me the confidence to bring them out on stage. Sometimes, even if we miss just one scrim block, I start to feel worried and doubt myself. So having this scrim routine is very effective and, for us, it’s the best possible system."
Header Photo Credit: Liu YiCun/Riot Games
