BLG knight: “I don't have many weaknesses compared to other midlaners”

The Swiss Stage action continues at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center in Allen, Texas, with the world's best League of Legends teams competing at Worlds 2026.

After a surprising defeat against Movistar KOI in their opening match, Bilibili Gaming bounced back with a victory over another Western team, Team Liquid.

Following the match, Strafe Esports spoke with Zhuo “knight” Ding, BLG’s star midlaner, about the matchup, the LPL’s struggles at the tournament, the challenges of facing Western teams, and his goals for Worlds after already winning an international title earlier in the 2026 season.

BLG knight at the League of Legends World Championship 2026 (Photo by Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games)

What was it like playing such a one-sided match in front of a crowd that was largely supporting the other team? Does winning on their home ground make it feel even better?

You know, being able to beat them on their home court makes me even happier and more excited. Even before the match, I could already hear the crowd cheering for them, and that gave me an extra boost and made me even more excited to play.

Since this is a best-of-one, we don’t see many different champion picks. What made Bin choose Camille for this game specifically? 

Since we were on the right side, whether we could pick Camille depended on the opponent's champion selections. Camille is also a good flex pick, as both our jungler, Xun, and Bin are very good at playing her. After seeing the opponent pick K'Sante, Bin suggested that Camille could be a good option for the top lane, so we decided to play her there. He was very confident in his Camille.

We’ve seen the LPL struggle on the first day of the tournament, although today brought some important wins for the region. What was the reason behind these difficulties, and do you think the tournament format might be contributing to them? 

I think it's mainly about understanding the meta. The time difference and the number of games are the same for everyone, so perhaps we just need to get a better understanding of the meta. Maybe we didn't face the strongest teams on the first day, so we need some time to adjust our understanding of the meta.

For other teams coming here for Worlds, we have a similar schedule, so we also have to deal with jet lag and things like that. I think the LPL teams' struggles might be because we haven't adapted to the meta very well, but I'm confident we'll improve and perform better going forward.

BLG came into Worlds with high expectations, but the loss against MKOI puts you in a difficult position. How do you keep those expectations from becoming extra pressure? 

We often feel that BLG gets off to a slow start at Worlds, especially during the Swiss Stage. We need a little time to warm up, so we have to find a way to adapt more quickly.

Why do you think BLG gets off to a slow start at Worlds, especially in the Swiss Stage? Is it mainly a matter of warming up and finding your rhythm?

I think it's because of the best-of-one format. Even in the LPL, BLG sometimes loses the first game of a best-of-three series. That's just how our team plays. Our playstyle comes with both high risks and high rewards. If we don't perform well, we can easily lose the game. I think that is the reason.

What do you think is the hardest part about playing against Western teams?

They are especially hard to predict because you never really know what their lineup will look like. Their playstyle is also very team-oriented, and they can quickly rotate to help each other out.

Is there a champion you really enjoy playing but feel you won’t get the chance to pick much at Worlds because of the current meta? 

I would love to play Zoe.

Does this Worlds feel any different from the previous editions you’ve played, especially considering you won an international title earlier this year? 

Compared to my previous experiences on the international stage, I want to enjoy myself more and feel more relaxed this year. In the past few years, I would get quite stressed on stage, but this time, I just want to enjoy every moment, make the most of every game, and simply do my best in every match.

Every mid laner wants to be the best in the world. What is one thing you genuinely believe you do better than any other mid laner at this tournament? 

I think my strength is that I'm a well-rounded player. I have a deep champion pool and a balanced playstyle that allows me to adapt to different situations. Compared to other midlaners, I don't think I have many obvious weaknesses, and I believe that versatility is one of my biggest strengths.

Do you think 369 has finally proved that he doesn't need to fear Emerald players, showing that he can perform much better on stage?

I think 369 might still be a little afraid of Emerald players who are ranked higher than him. Since we're very close friends, I know that his performance in ranked games isn't always as good as it is on stage. He's an incredible player in tournaments and he can deliver amazing performances on stage, but for some reason, things don't always go his way in solo queue.

Bilibili Gaming will return to the stage on October 26 to face Karmine Corp in a best-of-one series.

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Featured image credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games

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