On September 13, 2026, the LPL 2026 Finals concluded at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center. The finals featured AL against BLG. Even before the match began, there was significant buzz. After restructuring, AL gradually matured over the past two years, demonstrating exceptional team coordination and mid-jungle-support synergy, becoming a formidable force. On the other side, BLG has been the undisputed dominant team in the LPL in recent years. Their top-tier player skills and excellent tactical execution once showed a leading gap in team strength. In this year's playoffs, BLG displayed a hot competitive form.
This match attracted attention not only because it was a clash of titans, but also because BLG had swept AL 3-0 in the Winners' Finals just recently, sending them to the Losers' Bracket. AL returned from the Losers' Bracket with even greater dominance on the field, making it uncertain whether BLG could handle them as easily as before.
In the end, the result was quite surprising. AL defeated BLG 3-1 to become the champions of the 2026 LPL Finals, ending BLG's multi-year championship reign and becoming the new owners of the Silver Dragon Cup.
After the match, we interviewed BLG players along with other media friends.
Here are the details of the interview:
Q: Knight, it was mentioned that the current meta is very favorable for you. Do you have any response to that?
Knight:I think the current meta is okay for me. There are champions I don't play as well, but I won't force picks in this version.
Q: Bin, what part of today's match do you think was regrettable?
Bin:There's nothing particularly regrettable about losing; the opponent just played better. We'll just keep working hard.
Q: Flandre and Knight, Kanavi mentioned in an interview that he wants to face BLG again at the World Championship. As old friends, do you have any response for him?
Knight:I also want to face them at the World Championship. I just hope to meet them in the group stage, not in a BO5 during the knockout stage. If we have to face each other in a BO5, I hope it will be in the finals.
Flandre:If we meet Kanavi at the World Championship, I hope we can defeat them.
Q: Knight, facing AL again but not winning like last time, what changes do you think occurred in yourself or the team compared to the previous match?
Knight:I think rather than saying we didn't play well today, it's more accurate to say that the opponent has improved significantly. Compared to last time, AL has made great progress in both drafting and team coordination.
Q: Bin, you picked Kai'Sa for the first time in the second game today. How was the communication within the team at that time?
Bin:Kai'Sa can gain an advantage against Gnar in the early to mid-game, so I used that strategy.
Q: Bin, how did Kai'Sa feel in actual gameplay today? How do you view Kai'Sa's role this season?
Bin:Because we struggled a bit in the early game of the second match, I didn't have any strong feelings. As for Kai'Sa's role, she is definitely more suitable as an AD carry. Playing her top lane is only for unconventional compositions.
Q: Coach, where do you think the problems lay in today's failure to win? With the World Championship ahead, what changes will you make as a coach to address the current state?
Coach Daeny:Many fans hoped we would win the championship today. I originally thought we could win too, but unfortunately, we didn't win today. I'm very sorry.
Regarding the issues, our team coordination has always been very high, but today everyone might have had their own ideas, and some plays were forced. This part was quite shocking to me; I didn't expect such a gap. I will definitely correct these problems step by step moving forward.
Q: Viper, what do you think was the biggest change in AL compared to your previous encounter?
Viper:They played many BO5s, and their understanding of the meta has strengthened.
Q: On, you defeated AL 3-0 in the Winners' Finals but unfortunately lost today. Where do you think the biggest problem for the team was compared to the Winners' Finals?
On:I think the opponent played exceptionally well. Also, I think losing this match is actually good because it made us realize that we still have many shortcomings compared to AL. We will continue to work hard.
Q: Coach, in this final against AL, which player or champion system caused you the most trouble?
Coach Daeny:When we first met AL in the playoffs, they chose to play 3v3 in the bottom half of the map. But today, they seemed to abandon that strategy. They decided to ignore whether they won or lost the bot lane, focusing instead on slowly securing the game victory.
For us, the problem was that we were too eager to engage in fights. In terms of drafting, we might have needed more late-game champions. However, after losing the first game, we wanted to focus more on laning, so we chose that composition.
Q: Xun, the team will participate in the World Championship as the second seed. What do you think is the most important aspect for you and the team to adjust first?
Xun:I think AL's overall coordination today was much better than ours, while we played rather impatiently. Moving forward, we need to stay calm, train hard, and prepare for the World Championship.
Q: Wenbo, from your third-person perspective, how would you evaluate this BO5? Do you have any words of comfort for your teammates?
Wenbo:Looking at the entire BO5, I benefited a lot from both the overall macro management and pacing. I want to tell my teammates that everyone played a bit impatiently today. We need to adjust our mindset moving forward, work hard together, and improve gradually.
Q: Flandre, this year marks the 15th anniversary of League of Legends. As a veteran professional player, what do you think are the reasons for maintaining your passion for the game? What has this game brought to you?
Flandre:I believe that maintaining passion after debuting for so long is definitely driven by the desire to win matches and compete for the championship. Although we lost today, there will still be opportunities at the World Championship. We will keep working hard and continue to strive.
Q: Final question for everyone. The team will participate in the World Championship as the second seed. What adjustments and preparations will you make during this period? What kind of image do you hope to present at the Worlds?
Coach Chieh:To prepare for the World Championship, I think we should rest well first, then adjust our mindset and condition. After that, we will communicate further about game content and champion picks, gain a deeper understanding of the next patch, and prepare thoroughly.
Coach Daeny:For us, the loss today was definitely due to nervousness or arrogance during the process. Through this defeat, I will re-examine our entire team. As head coach, I must identify our problems and continue to improve as we prepare for the World Championship.
Wenbo:During the break, we will watch matches from other regions together to review and address our weaknesses.
Flandre:I think everyone should rest well first, and then train hard when we regroup after the break.
Bin:I think if we lose, we lose. Losing now is better than losing at the World Championship. We just need to prepare well for the Worlds.
Xun:Everyone should rest well; you've all worked hard. For the World Championship, we just need to prepare properly.
Knight:Since the World Championship is still quite far away, our main focus now is to rest well and adjust our mindset. Then, everyone can review the finals performance, reflect on their own issues, and strive to perform better at the Worlds.
Viper:If we communicate better as a team, it should be fine.
On:After resting, we will double our efforts to prepare for the World Championship.