LoL - LPL: Perfect week for Top Esports, Bilibili Gaming, Invictus Gaming, and Ninjas in Pyjamas

The fourth week of the LPL Split 3 concluded on Sunday, August 10, with the expected dynamics largely respected and a slew of exciting best-of series showcasing everything that makes the LPL unique: teamfights, solo kills, and pentakills. Here’s a recap of what happened during this week of the Chinese league.

Monday, August 4, was scheduled to feature two best-of-three series. The first, played in the LPL studio in Shanghai, saw Team WE claim their first and only victory of the split by defeating FunPlus Phoenix, leveling the head-to-head score between the two teams. The second BO3, set between JD Gaming and Weibo in Beijing, was postponed to August 28 due to rainstorm alerts across Beijing — the city where JDG's venue is based. This marked the second LPL series postponed so far this split, after Bilibili Gaming vs. Invictus Gaming was delayed during Week 3 due to a typhoon.

After resting during Week 3, Ninjas in Pyjamas returned to action against ThunderTalk Gaming and completed a reverse sweep after falling behind. Hu "Leave" Hong-Chao played the seventh Smolder of the split in China and carried the decisive Game 3. Next, the LPL leaders, Top Esports, took the stage against the Spring Split champions Anyone's Legend. Since returning from MSI and the Esports World Cup, AL have struggled, falling again to TES — a team that has shown exceptional performance domestically, especially since the arrival of Fu "Hang" Minghang as support.

Wednesday featured Bilibili Gaming’s fifth BO3 of the split, where they once again triumphed, this time over JDG — a team they hadn’t beaten in over a year, spanning two BO3s. Zhao "Shad0w" Zhi-Qiang continues to impress, establishing himself as one of the top junglers in the league since his arrival. It was a big day as IG faced AL, where Chen "GALA" Wei scored the first pentakill in Yunara’s history. IG handed AL their second consecutive loss, though AL managed to bounce back on Friday with a strong BO against FPX, with Lee "Tarzan" Seung-yong earning MVP honors in both won games.

Saturday was action-packed with three BO3s. BLG continued their dominant run, securing a sixth straight win against Team WE. TES defeated Weibo, who are now on a three-game losing streak. IG also dealt JDG the same fate, with GALA snagging a second pentakill in the same week — this time on Varus. To close out the weekend, EDward Gaming extended their dominance of the Nirvana Group with a sixth consecutive victory over ThunderTalk. Zhu "Zdz" De-Zhang put on a show with a quadrakill on Aatrox, and overall the BO was quite chaotic.

The week’s final BO3 saw BLG victorious for the third time this week. Team WE started strong in Game 1, but nothing seemed capable of stopping BLG. Due to the Fearless rule and bans, few junglers remained available during the draft for Game 2, leading Wang "Monki" Meng-Qi to pick Olaf. Shad0w responded with Zed, and the two junglers clashed early, with the Berserker emerging victorious. BLG gained the lead, and a draft centered around Azir, Sivir, and Sion allowed BLG to win their seventh BO in as many played, placing them atop the LPL standings tied in wins with TES but with one fewer loss.

The week’s final BO3 saw BLG secure their third win in as many series. Team WE struck first in Game 1, but BLG quickly proved too much to handle. With the Fearless rule and bans limiting jungle options in Game 2, Wang "Monki" Meng-Qi locked in Olaf, prompting Shad0w to answer with Zed. The two clashed early, with the Berserker coming out on top. BLG took control, and a composition built around Azir, Sivir, and Sion gave them confidence—but Olaf’s unstoppable presence tore through teamfights, allowing WE to level the series. Game 3 was a nail-biter: Monki’s Viego performance alone looked capable of turning the tide, yet breaking through BLG’s backline proved too difficult. BLG closed it out to claim their seventh win of the split.