Following a convincing 3-0 victory against Weibo Gaming at the
League of Legends 2024 World Championship,
Elk and
Bilibili Gaming have advanced to the grand finals as the final representatives of the
LPL. With much anticipation surrounding the match, the team’s bot laner participates in a brief press conference, addressing the pressing questions from the media attending Worlds.
Do you think having Fearless Draft in Worlds would make things more interesting?
Zhao "Elk" Jia-Hao: "Back in LPL summer, we tried the Fearless Draft, and it was really interesting since we could only pick each champion once per game. In BO5s, having Fearless mode would definitely be a test for the whole team and the coaching staff. I’m really looking forward to seeing this mode in the future—maybe it could even appear in international tournaments and the World Championship.
How does it feel to avenge last year’s semifinal loss to Weibo Gaming, and what has changed for BLG since that tough series in 2023?
Elk: I feel that being given this second chance for a rematch, and then being able to reach the grand final, is really meaningful. Now, we just need to try our best to showcase our talents and strengths on the biggest stage.
Bin tosses his jersey into Paris' crowd. Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
Did you notice Bin throwing his jersey into the crowd? What did you think of it?
Elk: Bin actually wanted to throw his jersey into the crowd during the last match against HLE, but he decided to hold off and check with us first to get some feedback on the idea. So, he waited until this match to go through with it. We all knew he was going to do it in advance, and we were excited to see how the crowd would react.
You gave Breathe a fist bump at the end—did you say anything to him?
Elk: We’ve known each other for a long time, and I’ve always cheered for him since he’s my former teammate. No matter what happens on the Rift, I told him I’d be here for him when we get back to Shanghai.
How would you rate Knight's performance so far?
Elk: Very good.
What does representing China at Worlds mean, especially with many interviews highlighting the importance of this victory for the country’s fan base and community?
Elk: Coming into the grand finals, the most crucial part is definitely whether we can grab the final trophy or not.
Is this the time for Bilibili Gaming? Do you think your team can perform strongly against any rival in the finals?
Elk: I feel like, in terms of the team's momentum, we're well-prepared and able to adapt even better now. However, how we perform on that day will really depend on the in-game context.
Bilibili Gaming now advances to the Grand Finals. Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
BLG encountered issues during the Swiss stage but turned it around for the better. What caused the switch from the first phase to the second phase?
Elk: From the very beginning until now, the whole team has been improving step by step. I think we didn't showcase a good performance during the Swiss stage because we put a lot of stress and pressure on ourselves, which affected our stage performance. In the Swiss stage, since it was best-of-one, a lot of unpredictable things can happen. But now, in best-of-threes and best-of-fives, we can be more relaxed and naturally perform better.
Now that you're in the finals, do you have a preference for your opponent, whether it's T1 or Gen.G, and why?
Elk: I don’t have a preference. Both teams have the potential to win tomorrow. Facing Gen.G might be tough since we want to take revenge for MSI while facing T1 would be significant since LPL hasn't won against them in any best-of-five. There will be plenty of exciting moments either way, so it really depends on how they perform tomorrow."
Header Photo Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
