Despite facing setbacks at the
2026 Mid-Season Invitational, where the LPL champions
fell short of completing their golden road attempt after losing to
in a nail-biting five-game series,
are back in full force at the
2026 Esports World Cup. Having started their run with a dominant victory over
, the squad has reaffirmed their pedigree by taking down reigning world champions
, qualifying for the knockout stage in the process.
In an exclusive short interview, BLG midlaner
sat down with
Sheep Esports to discuss his feelings following the T1 victory, the impact of MSI on his team's EWC run, and finally settle the debate on the best current Korean midlaner from the LCK.
What are your feelings after beating T1?
Zhuo "Knight" Ding: “Just a joyous feeling of winning.
What do you think about your performance on Cassiopeia, and do you consider yourself the best player in the world on this champion?
Knight: It's hard to say whether I'm the best because this champion is pretty simple, pretty basic. The only thing is that you really need to pay attention to when you cast the ultimate. The champion is pretty strong as well.
How was the team's mindset after MSI? Did the loss in the grand finals affect you, or did you feel any pressure during the series?
Knight: I wouldn’t say there’s a lot of pressure. But ultimately, the nature of competition is that it’s very cold and cruel. You may go all the way, but losing in the grand finals feels like all the victories beforehand don’t matter anymore.
Last year, was considered your biggest rival for the title of best midlaner in the world. This year, that rivalry feels like it has shifted to . Who has been the tougher opponent to face?
Knight: I would say that Chovy is definitely the harder opponent.
Can you give a reason?
Knight: [Smiles] His laning is just much stronger, as are his fundamentals.”
What’s Next for BLG?
There is no time to rest for BLG. Despite securing back-to-back victories, the squad
will have to return to the stage on Friday for their first best-of-three of the bracket stage, with no room for error in the single-elimination format. If they advance through the quarterfinals, the team will have to play at least two more matches, starting with the semifinals the following day, followed by either the third-place decider or, hopefully, the grand finals on Sunday. A best-of-five showdown would give BLG the opportunity to seek redemption after
their latest result in Daejeon.
