Bin's post-match interview was incredibly impactful.

Since defeating BLG in the Oil Cup and World Championship last year, Team G2 has particularly enjoyed teasing BLG in public settings. Even before the start of this Pioneer Tournament, G2 publicly stated that if they encounter BLG in the tournament, they will shut them out completely. This statement drew attention from many BLG fans, as last year BLG was repeatedly "caught" due to issues with their jungler. Now that BLG has become the strongest team in the LPL, many viewers are looking forward to whether they can successfully retaliate against G2.

Although most viewers recognize that BLG is stronger than G2, no one expected BLG to win so effortlessly. BLG dominated G2 solely through individual lane performance. After BLG easily defeated G2 3-0, the on-site host asked Bin why BLG needed a full BO5 to beat Team BFX, yet managed to crush G2 so easily. Bin's response was filled with confidence, stating that G2 is weaker than Team BFX, which allowed BLG to shut them out without difficulty.

The Hall of Fame player's performance is collectively mocked.

After G2's loss to BLG, the match performance of LOL Hall of Fame player Caps was criticized by viewers worldwide. Caps was completely outplayed by BLG's mid-laner, Left Hand, both in team fights and lane phase. Particularly in the second game, his play as the mid-lane "Rabbit" was described by LPL commentator Miller as playing a "mage version of Vayne." In team fights, Caps could only hit with his ultimate ability, while his Q and E skills missed entirely, forcing him to rely almost solely on his passive's three-hit effect for damage. Many viewers joked that Caps' inclusion in the Hall of Fame is lowering its prestige.

Here's a GIF to appreciate Caps' Rabbit gameplay. With his own team's Neeko stunning the enemy Alistar, Caps still managed to miss his Q as Rabbit. To secure the kill on Alistar, Caps had to use his ultimate to compensate for the damage, but he accidentally stepped out of range, triggering the ultimate's displacement effect, forcing him to flash to finish the kill. However, a final damage miscalculation resulted in failing to kill the low-health Alistar. This is just one example of Caps' "typical performance" in this match, as there were many similar moments throughout the game.

The first team eliminated in the LOL Pioneer Tournament is announced!

This Pioneer Tournament uses a double-elimination format. Therefore, after G2's loss to BLG, G2 still has a chance to advance to the knockout stage. G2's next opponent will be the LCK region's second seed, Team BFX. Team BFX advanced to the loser's bracket finals by defeating Team TSW 3-0. Meanwhile, Team TEW, having lost consecutively to G2 and BFX, became the first team to be eliminated from this global Pioneer Tournament. (This team is from the Vietnamese region, and their head coach is former FPX coach Warhorse.)

I personally look forward to the match between Team BFX and Team G2, because both teams' mid-laners have been heavily outperformed by Left Hand, making it hard to gauge their true strength. I believe Team BFX has a higher chance of winning, mainly because their AD carry is very strong, whereas G2's dual carries have shown declining performance in recent international tournaments. (Who do you think has a better chance of advancing to the knockout stage: G2 or BFX?)

Conclusion

Although many viewers believe Caps doesn't deserve a spot in the Hall of Fame, his recent international results are actually decent, and his popularity overseas is second only to Faker. However, I don't understand why Caps' form has declined so sharply. Caps is younger than Xiao Hu, yet his current gameplay has more "comedic effect" than Xiao Hu from WBG. I also wonder who will be the next player inducted into the Hall of Fame after Caps.