As one of the strongest mid laners in the LPL this year, knight really wants the Worlds title.
Among the most eye-catching stars in the League of Legends (LoL) World Championship 2024 is Zhuo “knight” Ding from Bilibili Gaming (BLG).
Like many other pros, knight has won multiple regional championships in China's LoL Pro League (LPL), if not often coming in second place. Despite these achievements, there's one title that has eluded him so far in his eight-year career: the Summoner's Cup.
“I think winning the Worlds means that I have gained a lot from all the years of hard work,” knight shared with GosuGamers in an interview right before the Swiss Stage kicked off.
“I have been playing professionally for a long time and have won a lot of trophies. I just need one more: Worlds.”
Knight’s journey started back in 2017 when he debuted with Young Miracles in the LoL Development League (LDL), quickly establishing himself as one of the most promising talents in the scene. By 2018, he joined Top Esports, a move that marked the beginning of his dominance in the LPL. His peak with the team came in 2020, when he led Top Esports to their first LPL title and reaching the semifinals of the World Championship, where they were eliminated by Suning.
However, the next two years brought international disappointment. Despite maintaining his reputation as one of the LPL’s finest, Top Esports were knocked out in the group stages of Worlds 2021 and 2022. In 2023, knight joined JD Gaming (JDG), achieving victory in both the Spring and Summer LPL Splits and capturing his first international title at the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI).
At Worlds 2023, knight and JDG attempted to become the first team in LoL history to complete the vaunted ‘Golden Road’ by winning every major event in the LoL esports calendar in the same year. While JDG already had the LPL and MSI titles, they couldn't complete the journey in Worlds as they were eliminated in the semifinals by the eventual champions, T1.
Now with BLG, knight continues a new chapter in his career in Worlds 2024. Hungry for the title, he's determined to lead his team to the elusive World Championship.
A new challenge at Bilibili Gaming
Upon joining BLG this year, knight had to make significant adjustments to both his playstyle and communication within the team. In particular, he highlighted how the role of a mid-laner in BLG differs from his previous teams.
“In BLG, what the mid-laner needs to do for the team is very different from the other teams I’ve played with,” knight explained. He also noted that many of his teammates at BLG, including star top-laner Chen “Bin” Ze-Bin, are younger and less experienced than him, which required him to change the way he interacted with his team.
“I used to be in teams with a lot of experienced players. I just needed to do my own thing,” he shared. “After I joined BLG, the average age of the players was much younger. They didn’t have as much experience as I did. So, I needed to communicate more and think about them more.”
Despite these challenges, knight credits his teammates and coaches with helping him adapt to his new environment. He gave special recognition to Peng “Xun” Li-Xun, BLG’s jungler, praising his ability to uplift the team’s spirits.
“Xun doesn’t care whether we win or lose — he always talks a lot. So, he brings a lot of energy to the team,” knight remarked.
Preparing for Worlds
Bilibili Gaming’s success in the LPL this year has largely been built on their impressive laning phase and their ability to find key opportunities for aggressive plays, especially through ganks. Knight emphasized that these strengths will be crucial at Worlds.
“We won’t lose points in the laning phase, and we’re always looking for chances to engage late in the game,” he explained. With such a strong foundation, knight believes BLG is capable of competing with the best teams in the world.
Beyond BLG’s strengths, knight also expressed confidence in the performance of the other LPL seeds heading into Worlds 2024. However, he remains wary of the LCK teams, known for their distinct playstyle and formidable mid laners. “The LCK mid laners are all very strong,” he admitted.
Seeking redemption at Worlds
Having faced top LCK contenders such as Gen.G and T1 at previous international events like MSI and the Esports World Cup (EWC), knight acknowledged that BLG weren’t at their best during those competitions. This time, however, he's confident that things will be different.
“We didn’t do our best in MSI or EWC — we weren’t in our best form. But this time, we’re ready. We just need to do our best,” knight stated, reflecting on his team’s mindset going into the tournament.
Meta shift: Returning to traditional mid lane playstyles
Knight also shared his thoughts on the current patch, which has brought traditional AP mid laners back to the forefront. With champions like Syndra and Azir dominating the meta once again, knight believes this patch favours most mid laners, including himself.
“This patch is more friendly to most mid laners,” he noted. “AD mid laners are not that common anymore, and AP mages are what most mid laners are used to playing. So, I think this patch is good for us.”
The return of traditional mages has shifted the dynamics of the mid-lane matchups, but knight is confident in his adaptability. He also pointed out that the change impacts team strategy overall, particularly in the jungler and support roles, where more AD junglers are becoming viable.
Pushing for the Summoner’s Cup
For knight, winning Worlds is more than just another trophy — it’s the culmination of years of hard work and dedication.
“Winning Worlds is definitely a very good outcome of my whole career. Because I have been playing for many years, and I have won many trophies. Winning Worlds is definitely a very important outcome of my whole career,” he said, underscoring how much this title means to him.
In closing, knight expressed gratitude to BLG’s fans for their continued support. “Thank you guys for supporting us. We will adjust to the better form facing our opponents,” he promised, leaving fans hopeful for what’s to come.
