Team WE continue to defy expectations in the LPL playoffs, and their journey has been anything but smooth. The squad barely made it out of the Last Chance Qualifier to enter the Group Ascend, where they suffered six straight BO3 losses before managing to bounce back and finish the stage with only 7 wins out of 18 matches. Their playoff run started with
a heavy 3-0 defeat against Anyone’s Legend, which sent them to the lower bracket early—where they faced
JD Gaming, one of the title favorites. Against all odds,
WE pulled off a 3-1 upset.
Their next challenge came in the form of regular-season leaders
Top Esports. Game 1 went in favor of TES, with Seo "
Kanavi" Jin-hyeok delivering a monstrous 14/0/6 performance on Naafiri. But WE struck back fast in Game 2, as Wang "
Monki" Meng-Qi’s Trundle led a 26-minute stomp—the shortest game of the series. Game 3 saw TES reclaim the lead, with Bai "
369" Jia-Hao’s Aatrox being practically unkillable. But WE didn’t fold. In Game 4, Zhao "
Vampire" Zhe-Can’s Nautilus found several key engages by lurking patiently in visionless bushes, enabling proactive plays with his jungler.
As the series reached a Game 5 decider, it all came down to a showdown 1V1: 369’s Renekton vs Monki’s Rumble. Despite not being a toplaner by trade, Monki outshined the veteran. Kim "
Karis" Hong-jo stepped up during the game, topping the damage charts on Annie. TES, Winter Split champions, fell flat and were eliminated, finishing the split 5th–6th. This marks the first time since Spring 2018 that neither JD Gaming nor Top Esports appear in the LPL’s Top 4.
On Monday, June 9,
Bilibili Gaming will face Anyone’s Legend for a spot at MSI. On the 11th, Team WE will take on a massive challenge against
Invictus Gaming,
who recently knocked out Weibo. The lower bracket final is scheduled for June 13, while the LPL Grand Final will take place the following day to determine the Split 2 champion—who will have to go through the MSI Play-In stage.
