KCB Tao: LEC Ambitions, 2026 Meta, and a Message to TheShy

Ahead of the start of the LEC Versus, we sat down with Italian-Chinese KCB top laner Xu “Tao” Hongtao Alessandro to talk about his journey as he makes his debut in tier-one, his thoughts on the new season’s meta, and who he rates in the top five top laners in the LEC.

KCB Tao – Quiet IRL, explosive in-game

Editor’s note: The interview was done in Chinese since it’s Tao’s most comfortable language. 

First, can you tell us who you are? And then what was your career path like before joining KCB, and what are the reasons why you are now here?

Tao: Hello, everyone. My name is Tao. My in-game name comes from my Chinese name, Hongtao. At first, I started [playing] in the Italian league, then I played there for a month, then I joined KCBS (Karmine Corp Blue Stars, KC’s third team), played for a whole year, and then I received an invitation from KCB in the summer split.

Davide: How did you get picked up by KCBS? Did you contact the team directly, or did they find you?

Tao: They did. Someone reached out to me, asking me to do a tryout. I went and succeeded.

Davide: So what impressed you the most when you first joined the team?

Tao: I noticed that my teammates are very strong.

On arrive aussi, préparez-vous 🤫#KCBWIN🟦 https://t.co/7YFt2xEkKC pic.twitter.com/LBTuxpCNpz

— Karmine Corp (@KarmineCorp) January 10, 2026

Davide: Now that you are in KCB, how do you think you would describe your style of play? Because I know you played in tier two and everyone says that you put a lot of focus on the early game, and you are also a top laner with strong laning.

How would you describe yourself?

Tao: Yeah, I put a lot of emphasis on laning.

Davide: Which champions do you like to play more, or do you like the most?

Tao: I like to play Aatrox, Renekton, and Jayce… these kinds of champions.

Davide: The main reason why I’m interviewing you today is because KCB is going to play their first stage of the season in the first division this year. This is also the first time in this league that there will be a chance for the players from tier two to play against the players of the first division.

What does this mean to you? What are you looking forward to most?

Tao: Well, this is a very precious opportunity.

Davide: And what do you expect?

Tao: I’m looking forward to playing against some great players like Canna and BrokenBlade.

If you say that you are now ranked in the top five top laners of the LEC, who would you choose?

Tao: I feel that the first is Canna, the second is BrokenBlade, the third is Myrwnm, the fourth is Rooster, and the fifth is Lot.

Les deux logos KC côte à côte… https://t.co/dsBiCyVy3w pic.twitter.com/RhqXtxlh5J

— Karmine Corp (@KarmineCorp) January 13, 2026

Davide: Where do you think you rank? Do you consider yourself close to the top five?

Tao: For now, I’m still wandering in the lower part [of the rankings].

Davide: Although KCB is playing the first split in the LEC, it will also return to the ERLs later. What are your expectations for KCB and yourself for the entire year?

What kind of goal do you set for yourself?

Tao: Well, I hope we can fight as well as possible in LEC.

Davide: Is there anything special you’re looking to learn? Or anything you would like to prove?

Tao: I just hope to make it to playoffs.

Davide: You’re the second Italian-Chinese player to reach the first division after Zhao ‘Shad0w‘ Zhiqiang. I wanted to ask if it has a special meaning to you.

Why do you think Italy has a hard time producing professional players that can reach the first division?

Tao: Well, I feel that the game in Italy is not particularly popular, so there are not many people who play it, I guess.

Davide: This year’s version of the new season is supposedly encouraging aggressive laning, which we talked about earlier.

Do you think it will be a favorable meta for you? And which champions do you think are going to be more dominant in this meta?

Tao: Well, I like the meta quite a bit, because you can use many different runes and Summoner’s spells. I think champions that can use Ignite like Rumble are best. Also, Zaahen is very strong.

Davide: KCB is known for its fanbase in Europe. Do you think joining KC is extra motivation or pressure?

Tao: Well, I don’t feel much pressure, it’s more motivating.

Davide: What’s your favorite thing about KC fans?

Tao: They are very enthusiastic.

Davide: I remember you taking part in the Red Bull League of Its Own this year, right?

Tao: Yes, yes, I participated.

Davide: Yes, I would like to ask you about the offline competition at that time, since you haven’t been to many offline competitions.

What kind of impressions did you get from that event?

Tao: I was very shocked at the time. I didn’t expect the venue to be so big. Well, it was very tense when we left.

Davide: Do you think you will still be nervous when you go to LEC now?

Tao: Well, it should feel okay now.

Davide: After reading what we talked about earlier about LEC’s top five, I would like to ask you what you think about the whole professional LoL scene.

Which are the players you aspire to or respect the most?

Tao: I think I would go with TheShy.

Davide: Do you have any particular reasons?

Tao: I really like his gameplay. His gameplay is very special.

If you have a chance to ask a question to TheShy, what would you want to tell him?

Tao: I don’t know… [thinks] Will he continue to play?

Davide: We’re coming to the end of the interview. I still want to ask you something about the new season’s meta. Do you think that the pace of the game has gone up compared to the previous year? I know you said that you liked the top lane meta because you can have more agency and even carry potential through the role.

Do you think the game is faster?

Tao: Yeah, I feel that the pace has become a little faster. Baron spawns at 20 minutes now, and if you lose the fights around it, the game is basically over.

Davide: Is there anything else you would like to tell the KC fans?

Tao: I hope they continue to support KC.