On the morning of November 15 (KST), in the 2026 LoL World Championship final held at the Barclays Center in New York, USA, BLG defeated Gen.G 3-1 to claim the championship.
In this tournament, BLG eliminated all four LCK teams—Hanwha Life Esports, Dplus KIA, T1, and Gen.G—with their own hands, signaling a complete revival for the LPL. Looking back at BLG's journey this year, it was by no means easy. They conceded the 1st seed spot in the LPL to AL, and there was even a period where Bin took a temporary break due to various issues. Even during the Swiss stage, Park "Viper" Do-hyeon expressed frustration over internal communication issues.
However, BLG turned crisis into opportunity, successfully bouncing back to build unstoppable momentum, and ultimately savoring the most thrilling moment of winning their first-ever championship since the organization's founding.
Q. (To Head Coach Daeny) Although you won the championship, there were quite a few mistakes along the way.
Head Coach Daeny: To use a bicycle analogy, when you ride a bike, you can't be afraid of scraping your knees. Mistakes are bound to happen, but the players know that as well. If the players feel it themselves, I trusted them rather than pushing them too hard. Since they are human and not AI, some things are inevitable.
Q. (To Head Coach Daeny) What was the most difficult aspect of preparing for the match against Gen.G?
Head Coach Daeny: There were two main things. Every team facing Gen.G had a tough time because they left Qiyana open, and all their players have wide champion pools, making it difficult to decide how to prepare. We focused a bit more on our own strengths, and non-ADC compositions were an example of that.
Q. (To Viper) You have won Worlds titles with two different teams. You are nearing the title of greatest AD Carry of all time. What do you feel you still need to achieve moving forward?
Viper: I think I was able to win a second title because good teammates, various elements of luck, my own effort, and the team's shared direction in the game all came together well. I still fall short of being called the greatest ADC of all time, and I believe I still have much to prove, so I will keep taking on challenges. I feel that winning a second or third time is more achievable than the first, so if I win more Worlds titles in the future, I might get closer to being the greatest of all time.
Q. (To Viper) You mentioned having many difficult moments throughout the year. How do you feel about winning your second Worlds title?
Viper: I still can't believe I won for a second time. Looking back, I think of all the hard work and the matches we lost, and I feel proud because this result was achieved because none of us gave up on each other. Going through so many things has also made me calmer. At times, everything felt like it was going wrong and turned negative. I promised myself not to let that happen, and I'm thinking a lot about how I will live my life going forward.
Q. (To Head Coach Daeny) Draft psychological warfare can be hard for viewers to pick up on. When you picked Kalista-Renata in Game 1, or Camille, Naafiri, and Cassiopeia in Game 2, Gen.G seemed uncomfortable. Could you explain the thought process behind this?
Head Coach Daeny: First, to define psychological warfare in drafts, you have to look at whether the opposing team is seeing the same things as you. Fans, teams, and officials all have different perspectives. That's part of the magic of League of Legends. Creating an advantage out of that is our job. To briefly explain Game 1, even if we gave up Olaf, we had picks like Kalista-Renata that could cope or were resilient against Olaf. Put simply, as long as Lulu wasn't there, it was completely fine.
To engage in psychological games, there are many layers: checking whether the opponent shares a similar perspective, what differs between us, and when uncertain, deciding where it's worth taking a gamble. When the opponent picked Olaf, we had Kalista-Renata in mind along with various other possibilities.
Q. (To Head Coach Daeny, Viper) LCK teams have had strong momentum in recent years. This time, you defeated every LCK team. What was a common point of focus for you? Also, with what mindset did Viper approach the games?
Head Coach Daeny: Although there were targeting bans aimed at non-ADC picks, looking at solo queue metrics, I thought they were good enough, and that proved effective. Looking at the LCK teams this year, I was confident that we were ahead when it came to reading the patch, and that the LCK was following behind. Once we understood the macro side of things, I felt we held the upper hand.
Viper: Starting with the Hanwha Life match, when I looked at the bracket from the quarterfinals, I had a feeling we would keep facing LCK teams. It felt like if we reached the finals, we'd end up meeting all four of them. I didn't have a specific mindset, but while preparing, I knew there were bot lane champions that only I could play, and I was able to project that image to the opponents. In that regard, I felt we had a chance to win, and when it came to performing on the big stage at crucial moments, I just focused on executing without overthinking.
Q. (To knight) How do you feel about winning the championship?
knight: I feel like I've made up for a lot of past regrets. I'm happy to have proven that the LPL is back on top.
Q. (To Bin) You defeated four LCK teams on your way to winning the championship. How do you feel?
Bin: I've finished as a runner-up at Worlds many times. I also faced harsh criticism from the outside, and even at this tournament, many people said it was impossible for us, but we made it all the way to winning the title.
Q. (To Xun) How are you feeling right now?
Xun: I'm always grateful to the fans. Thanks to the fans, we were able to deliver such a great performance. Right at this moment, I want to say that we are the strongest.
Q. (To ON) In what ways do you think you've grown compared to last year?
ON: After finishing as runner-up in 2024, I was left with a lot of regret and disappointment. But on this stage today, I proved myself.
Q. (To Head Coach Daeny) You won the championship. What are your thoughts?
Head Coach Daeny: Our players are so talented and have so many individual strengths that blending them together was difficult. Still, many people helped along the way. I believe this result came about because the players endured and pushed through so well.
Q. (To knight) You were named Finals MVP.
knight: Before the match, I don't think many people predicted our victory. But today, I beat Chovy, and BLG defeated Gen.G.
Q. (To Viper) It was a challenging year. Is there anything you'd like to say?
Viper: It was the hardest year of my life. Although I won in 2021, returning as a challenger and standing in this spot with such great teammates makes me so happy, and it feels unbelievable. So many memories flash through my mind, and I want to express my gratitude to everyone around who helped me.
Q. (To Bin) What special meaning does this victory hold for you personally, and do you feel you have become the "ideal version of yourself" that you envisioned when you first dreamed of becoming a pro gamer?
Bin: I think the greatest meaning of this championship is that it leaves a truly beautiful memory for myself, for our team, and for everyone who supported us. Winning Worlds was a long-time dream of mine, and I achieved it today. I'm truly happy. But the path of my life is still long, so I will continue to do the things I want to do going forward.
Q. (To Xun) Your signature champion, Kindred, was banned today. Fans expressed disappointment that a Kindred skin won't be coming out.
Xun: Honestly, I don't care about the skin at all. What matters is that we won today, and I'm satisfied with the fact that the match was really fun and enjoyable.
Q. (To Bin) Previously, you said that T1 was stronger than Gen.G. Do you still feel the same way? Also, do you have a champion in mind for your championship skin?
Bin: T1 and Gen.G seem pretty similar. In the end, the outcome comes down to daily condition and maintaining peak performance on the day. As for the championship skin, I don't know yet.
Q. Who are you most grateful to after winning the title? Also, is there anything you'd like to say to the fans?
ON: The person I feel most grateful to after winning the championship is myself. I always made promises to myself, but I never knew a day like this would actually come. For the skin, I think I will choose Lulu or Neeko.
Viper: I want to thank my mother. I remember the conversation we had in the car when I joined the team. Everyone had such high expectations, and the pressure was immense. I had never felt such heavy pressure before. But I believed that with my teammates, I could endure it all. As for the skin, I don't know yet.
knight: I would also pick myself as the person I am most grateful to. Having been a pro player for a very long time, there were actually many moments when I wanted to give up. Especially when I finished as runner-up in the past, I wondered, "Will I ever be able to stand on this stage again and win in my lifetime?" But thanks to meeting such wonderful teammates and coaching staff, I got another opportunity to win the championship and even pick a skin, for which I am sincerely grateful. I'm also thankful to myself for not giving up until the end. I'm still debating on the skin as well.
Q. (To Bin) There were many fans who doubted and criticized you along the way. Do you have anything to say to them?
Bin: Honestly, regarding doubts or criticism directed at me, I've never felt an obsession to prove something to someone. I think it's enough for everyone to just enjoy this moment and be happy together.
