MSI Preview: is this the limit for BiliBili Gaming?

One year ago, Bilibili Gaming (BLG) arrived at MSI riding high on momentum, after dominating the LPL Spring split. Fast forward to 2025, and the version of BLG heading to Canada is similar… but also different.

The team has only replaced one piece of the chessboard, yet the results have made it clear that something structural has changed, which could potentially hurt BLG for the rest of the season.

There’s still a chance that BLG figures it out and returns to last year’s form. But considering how dominant Korean teams have looked this season, this might not be the year BLG fights for international glory.

The importance of the jungle 

The departure of Xun in the offseason created a vacuum that BLG has struggled to fill. His agency and high skill ceiling were fundamental throughout the team’s success in the past two years — and his absence was immediately felt. BLG looked uncoordinated and struggled to fit jungler Wei with the team, despite his strong form last year.

Wei’s playstyle often clashed with the rest of the team, and he was often unable to play around BLG’s solo laners. His replacement, Beichuan, stabilized the team to a certain extent. His role as a bridge for the team and enabling his teammates worked well to raise the team’s ceiling, but it’s still clear that he is far off from the superstar jungler he replaced. Expecting him to become someone like Xun is also unfair, which puts the laners under more pressure to deliver. And that can cause issues…

BiliBili Gaming Stars Under Pressure

BLG still has the same firepower in the lanes as last season, but it has been a lot more inconsistent. Bin has had ups and downs during the split and has often found himself unable to dominate or create enough pressure through the top lane.

Knight, despite still being one of the best mids in the LPL, wasn’t tier above the rest like last year, and on various occasions, he was getting beaten by AL Shanks and even IG Rookie. It’s a worrying trend for a team that often relies on Knight to be the difference maker when needed.

The bot lane has been solid overall, but they don’t seem to have the same amount of impact as last year. This is partially due to the importance that mid-jungle has had over the season so far, and the lower priority bot lane picks have been getting in the past few months.

While BLG’s strengths are still clear, the team has failed to take advantage of them consistently. The team has also suffered when it comes to adapting to Fearless Draft, and their macro hasn’t reached AL’s levels in the spring split, especially when the series went deeper. The team has often relied on comfort picks and momentum-based wins, which could bite them back against well-prepared teams of a similar level.

High ceiling but yet to be unlocked 

I think BLG’s ceiling is not the one we’ve seen during the LPL Spring playoffs. On paper, they can theoretically find some extra steps if they are able to stabilize their gameplay. Beichuan, however, will be the one with the biggest pressure since there will be a lot of strong junglers at the tournament, and some of them are incredibly aggressive.

Luckily for them, they will have some time to get used to the new patch through the play-in stage. Based on the MSI teams at this phase, BLG is expected to get through relatively easily. The question will be their performance once they head to the bracket stage. There is a chance they go up against MKOI in the first round (if G2 and BLG advance), which would be quite the interesting matchup, and a good test for both Beichuan and Elyoya. 

Based on current form, BLG would probably be a top-four team at MSI at best. Their inconsistency, however, could also see them drop below that top four since it looks like the gap between regions has been closing since Worlds 2024. If they fail to adapt quickly or find a way to make their new lineup work, this tournament could serve as a harsh wake-up call for the team.