Knight Makes History at Worlds 2026 as First Chinese Mid Laner to Win the Title

Zhuo “knight” Ding made history on Saturday, November 14, becoming the first mid laner from mainland China to win the League of Legends World Championship. The milestone came as Bilibili Gaming (BLG) claimed their first world title with a 3-1 victory over Gen.G in the final of Worlds 2026 in New York.

Beyond securing his first world title, knight also ended a streak of 13 consecutive Worlds championships won by South Korean mid laners, dating back to 2013. The achievement is particularly significant because even the LPL's three previous Worlds-winning teams had South Korean players in the mid lane.

The Three South Korean Mid Laners Who Won Worlds With LPL Teams

Before BLG's triumph, the LPL had won Worlds in 2018, 2019, and 2021. On all three occasions, the Chinese teams had South Korean mid laners:

• 2018, Invictus Gaming: Song “Rookie” Eui-jin played mid for IG, who defeated Fnatic 3-0 in the final to secure the LPL's first world championship.
• 2019, FunPlus Phoenix: Kim “Doinb” Tae-sang won Worlds with FPX, who defeated G2 Esports 3-0 in the championship match.
• 2021, EDward Gaming: Lee “Scout” Ye-chan helped EDG defeat DWG KIA 3-2 in the final. The South Korean mid laner was also named Finals MVP.

Despite those three championships, no LPL team had ever won Worlds with a mid laner from mainland China. Knight changed that with the region's fourth world title.

Knight Ends a 13-Year Streak of South Korean Mid Lane Champions

South Korea's dominance in the role began in 2013, when Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok won his first world championship with SK Telecom T1. Every Worlds-winning team from 2013 through 2025 featured a South Korean mid laner, including champions from other regions such as Invictus Gaming, FunPlus Phoenix, and EDward Gaming.

The last non-South Korean mid laner to lift the Summoner's Cup had been Kurtis “Toyz” Lau, a player from Hong Kong who won Worlds 2012 with the Taipei Assassins. The Taiwanese team defeated Azubu Frost 3-1 in that final.

While Toyz was from Hong Kong, knight is the first player from mainland China to win the World Championship as a mid laner.

The Worlds Title Knight Had Been Chasing

The victory also brought an end to knight's long wait for a world championship. He had already collected multiple LPL titles and won the 2023 Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) with JD Gaming, but the Summoner's Cup remained the biggest trophy missing from his career.

In 2020, he reached the Worlds semifinals with Top Esports before being eliminated by Suning. Three years later, he reached the same stage with JD Gaming. The team had won both LPL splits and MSI in 2023, but T1 ended their Worlds run in the semifinals.

His closest attempt came in 2024, when he reached his first Worlds final with BLG. The Chinese team took a 2-1 lead against T1, only to lose the final two games and finish as runners-up after a 3-2 defeat.

Knight added another international title in 2026 when BLG defeated G2 Esports 3-1 in the First Stand final in São Paulo, Brazil. At Worlds, the team also got revenge against T1 by eliminating the South Korean team 3-1 in the semifinals.

Earlier in the tournament, during the Swiss Stage, knight spoke to Strafe Esports about his confidence and the pressure he had felt at previous international events. He explained that he wanted to approach Worlds 2026 with a more relaxed mindset, enjoy the competition, and avoid the stress he had experienced in previous years.

That approach accompanied a historic Worlds run that ended with the trophy knight had been chasing for years. He was also named Worlds 2026 Finals MVP, capping a championship campaign in which he became the first mainland Chinese mid laner to win the World Championship.

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Featured image credit: Riot Games

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