The League of Legends 2026 Global Pioneer Tournament group stage has commenced. On the first match day, the four teams in Group A engaged in BO5 matches against each other. The opening match between BLG and BFX unexpectedly went to a full BO5. In the first game, BLG dominated across all fronts and won decisively. Seeing such an easy victory, everyone thought BLG would sweep BFX 3:0, but the next two games saw dramatic reversals.

To protect Viper in the bot lane, Danny assigned Bin the Sion for lane stability, yet the bot lane still suffered an early kill. Although the mid and jungle had significant advantages, Diable was overly aggressive in team fights, securing kills whenever he initiated. After Da Boluo achieved a pentakill, the score was tied. In the third game, the coach realized Bin needed to step up and assigned him Rumble, but the bot lane collapsed again, with Viper being killed early once more.

With the AD carry underperforming, BLG lost the match point first. In the subsequent games, Danny finally understood that protecting Viper early was ineffective; leaving him alone allowed him to dominate in the mid-to-late game. After shifting this strategy, BLG's top, mid, and jungle synergized effectively, dragging the match into a deciding game. The final game was chaotic, with both teams engaging in constant skirmishes. BFX accepted every fight but lost each one, allowing BLG to destroy their base in just 25 minutes.

Although the process was somewhat turbulent, the final outcome was positive. Viper is truly peculiar: when protected, he fails to carry; when left alone, he performs exceptionally. After defeating BFX, BLG also ended the LPL's ten consecutive losses against LCK in international competitions. The last time the LPL defeated LCK was at the 2024 World Championship, when BLG beat HLE 3:1. Since then, the LPL had not won against LCK.

BLG marks both the beginning and the end. It can only be said that last year was indeed the darkest year for the LPL, failing to win any major matches against LCK throughout the year. After winning the match, Bin proudly posted: "For international matches, watch BLG." Considering the international performance over the past two years, Bin's statement is more convincing than Ai Xiao's. Hopefully, BLG can thoroughly review and address issues, strive forward, and successfully advance to the knockout stage.

The other match in the same group was G2 versus TSW, which concluded quickly. G2 secured the first victory of the Pioneer Tournament by defeating TSW 3:0 in just 90 minutes. This dark horse from the Vietnamese region, though dominant in the LCP, appeared inadequate against truly strong teams. Regardless of how Warhorse adjusted the BP, TSW could not overcome G2 in team fights, even with early advantages—a pure disparity in strength.

This BO5 can genuinely be called a one-sided match without exaggeration. G2's team fights were not like BLG's back-and-forth struggles with BFX; once they gained an advantage, their team fights were effortless. Even if they faced early deficits, they could reverse the situation in the mid-to-late game. TSW, participating in an international tournament for the first time, clearly lacked experience. After falling into the losers' bracket, they will face BFX, and unless unexpected, TSW will likely be the first team eliminated.

With BLG and G2 both winning, they will meet in the winners' bracket final. The winner advances to the knockout stage, while the loser faces the winner of BFX versus TSW. Based on their performance against BFX, BLG cannot confidently claim victory over G2. Both teams are highly capable, and G2 did not reveal any strategies against TSW. It seems these two teams will have a competitive match. BLG must reduce their error rate; otherwise, facing BFX again could lead to a upset.

Conclusion:

Next, the matches in Group B will also begin, with JDG versus GEN. It remains uncertain whether the LPL can secure two consecutive wins. Although JDG defeating GEN is challenging, hopes remain that JDG can perform strongly. It may not be necessary to reach the winners' final, but at least they should secure one or two games against GEN. However, objectively speaking, if JDG avoids being swept, that could already be considered a success.

So, how many games do you think JDG can win against GEN?

Feel free to leave your comments and discuss!