Top Esports secured a spot in the knockout stage by reversing a deficit to defeat Bilibili Gaming 2-1 in the League of Legends World Championship Swiss Stage. TES lost the first game but won the next two to seal the victory.
TES competed as the LPL's third seed. Original top laner Cheng Zihao "ZUIAN" was absent due to visa issues. Bai Jiahao "369", who had left the professional scene in April of this year to take a break, joined the team temporarily about a week before the tournament began. Just a few weeks prior, he was still streaming Valorant, and his ranked tier upon returning was only Emerald.
Facing long-time rival Chen Zebin "Bin", 369 posted a combined KDA of 8/4/14 across the series. In Game 2, TES trailed by approximately 5,000 gold at one point, but Yu Wenbo "JackeyLove", playing Lucian, participated in a crucial teamfight that helped his team complete the comeback. TES then established a significant advantage in Game 3 and ultimately won the match.
This advancement allowed 369 to extend his personal record of attending the World Championship six times and reaching the knockout stage each time. BLG entered the elimination bracket with a 2-2 record; under the matchup restrictions at the time, their potential opponents included Lyon, or the loser of the match between G2 Esports and Hanwha Life Esports.