HLE vs BLG: which #1 seed advances? – Worlds 2024 Quarterfinals Preview

Which is the stronger #1 seed between the Eastern regions? It’s all on the line between HLE and BLG in the Worlds 2024 Quarterfinals.

HLE vs BLG – CN vs KR Round 1

Both teams came into Worlds with high expectations. Not only were both teams the winners of their respective domestic championships but the two looked convincing in terms of form and potential.

The Worlds run, however, hasn’t been as perfect as some would’ve thought. HLE had a good start but fell to their archnemesis Gen.G while BLG barely made it through after ending 3-2 in the Swiss stage, sending G2 home in a heartbreaking series for EU fans.

With quite a few question marks about the two teams in the series, who is favored to advance and lock a spot in the top four? Can the LPL avenge last year’s result? Let’s break it down in our preview.

Match Breakdown

To better understand the potential dynamics of the series, we have to go rewind a bit and quickly go over the HLE and BLG’s performance at Worlds so far.

For BLG, there are two particular reasons why they weren’t as dominant as some would’ve expected. The first reason is that the team had quite a poor initial read on the meta, which was highlighted in the first two series of the Swiss stage. While the team fixed it in the following matches, BLG’s main strength is currently still indirectly nerfed by how the meta is played.

The LPL team is known for having an early-game-focused playstyle that focuses on opening up leads through skirmishes. In patch 14.18, however, the optimal way of playing is usually done by making picks on the map and creating leads through objective controls. Even though BLG can do that, it’s not the playstyle they have been accustomed to throughout the past year.

HLE, on the other hand, excel more in late-game teamfights and when games are being dragged out. Not only because that’s their main strength but also due to how they usually approach drafts by going for scaling champions like Kai’Sa, Smolder, etc. That said, HLE is fixated on some of the picks which might put them at a disadvantage. They were one of the few teams to play Smolder and I wonder whether they will want to continue focusing on the pick going forward, despite him being much weaker post-nerfs.

Aside from that, HLE seems to be much more comfortable playing the meta picks. Zeka loves champions like Yone and Sylas, Delight is strong on engage champions and Doran can handle lane swaps by playing a good variety of top laners. For HLE, the responsibility will fall on the two carries while BLG will have to rely on their jungle-mid duo to dictate the pace of the game.

Based on the analysis done, I believe HLE to be slightly favored in the series. It shouldn’t be one-sided and it might really come down to Silver Scrapes. However, unless there are big blunders from drafts, the LCK team will likely take the series.

For daily Knockout Stage predictions and mock slips, head over to our LoL Worlds odds section.