Former MSI champion Clearlove joins Weibo Gaming as Head Coach

A former legend of the game, Ming "Clearlove" Kai has officially joined forces with , leaving his historical home of once more. This move comes as a surprise, especially amidst the Chinese coach’s recent successes, which saw EDG promoted to Group Ascend ahead of the LPL Split 3 after relegating . Meanwhile, his new team, WBG, were themselves relegated by , meaning that Clearlove will evolve this summer in a stacked Group Nirvana that will also feature and , with only two spots in the playoffs available.

Formerly one of the strongest players to have emerged from China, the now-coach and former jungler was one of the precursors of China’s rise in League of Legends, with his unique playstyle leading EDG to win the very first edition of the Mid-Season Invitational in 2015, eleven years ago. Since then, Clearlove has had multiple coaching stints, though he has never again achieved the same level of success he had during his playing career, having at best achieved a top-four finish with JDG in 2025.

Having first entered League of Legends by acquiring World finalists Suning and their legacy in 2021, Weibo Gaming fans have been subjected to a rollercoaster of emotions throughout the years. From difficult beginnings to a surprise Worlds 2023 finals appearance, followed by a semifinal run the next year, the organization has now found itself facing an unexpected relegation this split.

This year was supposed to be the one where WBG would finally reestablish its legacy after multiple acquisitions, notably that of former BLG star AD Carry . While things initially looked promising, with the team securing a third-place finish in Split 1, the situation quickly turned sour following a support change that led to WBG unexpectedly dropping to Group Nirvana after a five-game series against LGD.

Now, the squad hopes to return to its former glory, notably after parting ways with both supports it rotated between during Split 2 and, according to rumors, acquiring Jeong "Moham" Jae-hun from Oh My God, a move seemingly hinted at by the team itself.

Similarly, Clearlove himself, a five-time LPL champion and MSI winner, has also seen his legacy eroded by time. Indeed, after years of underwhelming results as a coach, his reputation as one of the region’s greatest talents has slowly faded, with many newer fans likely not even knowing his name despite his numerous achievements. Among them was his iconic victory over reigning World Champions SK Telecom T1, helping challenge the era of Korean dominance at its peak.

The LPL Split 3 begins on July 22, in just under a week, though Weibo Gaming will only play its first match on July 25 against Invictus Gaming, another former LPL powerhouse that has fallen from grace in recent years. With only four teams, Group Nirvana promises to be an explosive battleground, as the presence of organizations like iG and WBG has largely been attributed by fans to unexpected underperformances rather than a true lack of strength. This has created a completely reshaped landscape ahead of playoffs, where even contenders could stumble early and fail to qualify. There will be no room for mistakes.