With only one day left before the LPL third stage group stage officially begins, teams with roster adjustments have been unveiling their new squads. The recent buzz around BLG's top lane change has seen a major reversal. According to whistleblower Lianlian Hongcha and a former RA manager, BLG is leaning towards maintaining their current lineup, as they are unable to quickly find a viable substitute for Bin.

First, they leaked the news of a roster change, then they said that Bin would remain the starter if he apologizes to his teammates. This whole move seems like a PR tactic to shift public opinion. Before the swap rumors, Bin was heavily criticized by viewers based on his performance at the Mid-Season Invitational and the Esports World Cup, with fans condemning his playstyle. But once the change news broke, the narrative instantly flipped, and the discussion shifted to which top laner would be a better fit for BLG.

Fewer people are blaming Bin for poor performance, and many viewers are even defending him, arguing that he is irreplaceable. The reason is simple: among all LPL top laners, none are stronger than Bin. If they were to replace him, BLG's strength would plummet in the third stage. Many believe that Bin's only issue is his mindset, and that after this massive public scrutiny, he will recognize his problems and correct them.

This defensive angle, though somewhat tricky, is not entirely unreasonable. The likelihood of BLG changing their top laner is indeed very low, because BLG has a match on the 23rd, and all teams' rosters are already set. For BLG to poach a player, they would need to find a top laner for the other team as a replacement. Most importantly, in just a day or two, they can't even properly conduct tryouts, let alone sign a player and have them compete immediately.

BLG's leak of the roster change news was likely intended to put pressure on Bin, making him aware of his issues and adjust his mindset. However, getting Bin to apologize seems quite difficult. Previously, when Kakao was coaching BLG, he pointed out top lane problems during a review, and Bin talked back. The management asked him to apologize, but Bin flatly refused. Later, the club contacted his family and had them come in, and only then did Bin reluctantly apologize to Kakao.

This time, the situation is even bigger than before, so Bin's family will likely put pressure on him. But a simple apology, honestly, won't help BLG at all. The key is whether Bin realizes that his playstyle is harming the team. If this public reckoning makes him wake up, then BLG still has hope for the third stage. But if he doesn't come to that realization, then there's no hope.

Bin's individual skill is indeed top-tier among domestic top laners, but he is too obsessed with solo kills in the laning phase. When he has an advantage, he plays creatively, but once he falls behind or gets solo killed, he becomes completely irrational, ignoring his teammates and only thinking about getting revenge. Bin's performance might just prove Guan Zeyuan's words: "He keeps saying he's the world's best top laner, and ends up fooling himself."

All world champion top laners know how to sacrifice for their teammates - there have been no exceptions over the years. If Bin can realize this, BLG still has a chance to contend for the title. Among all the LPL teams, only a few can truly compete with the LCK. BLG is the team that fans believe has the best chance to restore the region's glory this year. Hopefully, after this lesson, Bin will truly grow up.

Conclusion:

If BLG hadn't participated in the EWC, they would have had time to find a top laner and let Bin sit on the bench to reflect. But now time is too tight - the Esports World Cup just ended, and the group stage is about to start immediately. With all teams' rosters already set, it's really hard to find a replacement. Now we can only wait and see if Bin's playstyle changes in the upcoming matches.

So, do you think BLG was just bluffing?

Feel free to leave a comment and discuss!