China appoints League of Legends roster for Esports Nations Cup

Despite not fielding a roster at the Asian Games, China will compete at the Esports Nations Cup. As one of the 16 directly invited teams, they are already guaranteed a place at the Main Event in November and will enter the tournament as one of the leading title contenders. Their complete player roster has also been revealed.

To represent the “Middle Kingdom,” China could have built its roster almost entirely around Bilibili Gaming, the First Stand champions and one of the strongest teams in the world right now. However, tournament rules limiting each nation to a maximum of three players from the same club make that impossible.

Instead, China has opted for a balanced selection drawn primarily from the two LPL Split 2 finalists, League of Legends Pro League teams Bilibili Gaming and Top Esports, combining star talent from both squads to form its national roster.

Announced this Thursday by the Esports Foundation, the roster will therefore be composed of:

Bin, Peng “Xun” Li-Xun, Knight, and ON are all arguably the best Chinese players in their respective roles. However, due to the restriction allowing only three players from the same team, it is the team’s jungler, Xun, who will be left out, with Top Esports player Tian taking the place.

In the botlane, the Zhao "Elk" Jia-Hao and ON duo will not be reunited, as JackeyLove has been selected instead. Tian and JKL know each other very well, as they played together for three years at TES between 2022 and 2024. The duo reunited this season, and the partnership seems to be working once again, as Top Esports reached the LPL Split 2 final, securing their spot at MSI, despite a loss to BLG.

As it stands, Flandre and Monki are expected to serve as the team’s substitutes. Monki, in particular, stands out as a surprise inclusion, rewarded for Team WE’s unexpected playoff run. After a disastrous regular season (1–13), the team produced a remarkable turnaround in the playoffs, ultimately finishing in third place.

If there is one country that can truly compete with South Korea at the Esports Nations Cup, it is China. Asian Games champions in 2018 and semifinalists in 2022, these two nations have been dominating the global League of Legends scene for several years now.

With a roster totaling 9,000 points, China is set to enter the tournament as the No. 1 seed. While a top 16 placement would already guarantee direct qualification to the main event, China will instead head into the main stage as one of the leading contenders, alongside South Korea. South Korea ranks No. 2 in the pre-tournament standings by points and enters as a strong favorite among fans to win the title.

To build its roster, China has to decide between a whole set of AD Carries.. Wang "Hope" Jie, Chen “GALA” Wei, Hope, and Elk could all have been selected, particularly GALA, who reached the Winter final and attended the First Stand with JD Gaming. He also offers a more heavy carry-oriented profile than his compatriot Hope, who was ultimately chosen.