Cheng "
" Zi-Hao’s recent visa issues have forced
to promote substitute top laner Bai “
” Jia-Hao to the main roster ahead of
League of Legends Worlds 2026. However, the Chinese top laner last played in a competitive match in April against
in the EWC Chinese qualifier. Because of this, there are a lot of concerns around both TES and 369, as no one really knows what his form is like right now.
Recently,
a screenshot from 369’s stream went viral on X: the player allegedly spoke with BLG’s mid laner Zhuo "
" Ding via
League Client and admitted he'd been stomped by an Emerald Zed player, complaining that it's a very stressful elo.
Knight’s response was hilarious as he asked 369: “If playing in Emerald is this stressful, how are you going to play against Zeus?“. The response was even funnier: 369 allegedly said, “Is Zeus as good as Emerald players?”
What has 369 been doing recently?
It’s kind of clear that 369 has not been really focusing on League after his stepping back in April. There are a lot of clips of him playing
VALORANT while streaming. However, after he learned he had to play at Worlds, 369 flew to Shanghai to meet the team and practice with them.
The biggest positive for TES is that the meta hasn't changed much since the start of the year, so 369 won’t have to train new picks that recently became competitively viable. Also, the Chinese toplaner has competed in the LPL since 2019, so his experience could be a valuable asset for a team with a historic tradition of underperforming at international events.
A Worlds return full of questions
369’s return will be one of the most interesting things to watch when TOP Esports begins their Worlds 2026 run. He has plenty of experience at the highest level, but months away from competitive
League of Legends make his current level hard to predict. With little time to prepare, 369 will have to get back into competitive shape quickly and prove that he can still perform on the international stage.
With limited time to prepare alongside the team, he will have to adapt quickly once the tournament begins. Whether 369 can rediscover his best form on the international stage remains to be seen, but his unexpected return could become one of Worlds 2026’s most intriguing storylines.
