LoL Worlds 2024: HLE-BLG, only one shall remain

The Knockout Stage continues this Friday with seven teams still in the hunt for the title, following Weibo Gaming's victory over LNG Esports yesterday. These teams will face off in high-stakes, best-of-five, single-elimination matches to determine who will claim the crown from reigning champions T1. The second quarterfinal promises to be a thrilling showdown between two tournament favorites, each representing the top seeds from the world's most competitive leagues. Hanwha Life Esports, the reigning LCK champions, will clash with BiliBili Gaming, the LPL champions, in a fierce battle to secure a spot in the semifinals, while the loser heads home.

HLE has had a strong run at these Worlds, benefiting from a favorable draw while proving they deserved their first-seed status from the world's strongest league. Their only loss came against Gen.G in the Swiss stage (2-1), where their opponents introduced a fresh meta-read with Aurora, Nocturne, and Ahri. Despite this, HLE still managed to take a game off them, demonstrating resilience. Beyond this loss, HLE has been a tough team to challenge. Their impeccable macro play allows them to punish opponents' positional mistakes through decisive picks or by reclaiming map control to regain the gold lead. This was especially evident in their matches against G2 Esports and PSG Talon.

On the other hand, BLG has been steadily improving as the tournament progresses, after a rough start. Touted as one of the competition's powerhouses, with two LPL titles and a runner-up finish at MSI, BLG faced their first reality check at Worlds. In the Swiss stage, they lost to T1 and LNG Esports, with their three wins coming only against two European teams (MDK, G2) and the PCS champion (PSG Talon). Draft issues plagued them early on, as they relied heavily on their Summer split strategies. However, they turned things around in their last best-of-three, securing qualification through a brilliant play by Elk on Ezreal versus G2. Despite their shaky start, BLG has shown impressive teamfighting prowess, driven by standout individual performances across the roster. At the same time, they still give the impression to not have showed what is their full potential.

This is the first time ever these two organizations face, while both actually have a short number of international appearances. This is HLE's second participation in Worlds (the first was in 2021), same for BLG (the first was in 2023) while they also played MSI twice (2023, 2024). Some players, however, know each other very well.

BLG will be facing off against Doran, Peanut, and Delight, who have a point to prove after losing twice to BLG in previous best-of-five series last year while they were part of Gen.G. They suffered a 3-0 defeat at MSI 2023 and a surprising 3-2 elimination in the quarterfinals of last year’s Worlds, despite being considered favorites. This matchup gives them the chance to seek redemption and restore their honor.

HLE will also rely heavily on Viper and Zeka, two world champions who seem to be performing at a high level in this tournament. Zeka, in particular, is thriving in a Yone-centric meta that suits him perfectly. Meanwhile, the spotlight will also be on the duel between the two AD carries. Viper, the 2021 World Champion and widely considered one of the best ADCs in the world, faces Elk, who is currently playing the best individual seasons of his career. After two years without playing each other since the 2022 LPL regular season, Elk has a legitimate claim to challenge Viper's title and prove that the balance of power between them may have shifted since their last encounter.

We'll get our answers today as the series kicks off at 2 PM CET, in front of 9,000 fans at the Adidas Arena in Paris.