Bilibili Gaming had the presence of one of Korea’s most accomplished coaches guiding them at VCT CN KICKOFF.
CHINA – Bilibili Gaming entered the season with their debut last month at VCT CN KICKOFF, introducing what appeared to be their new coach. Lee “bail” Sung-jae was spotted assisting BLG in the team room with the help of a Korean-Chinese translator.
Before the match, bail was caught on camera chatting with players, including the team’s recent addition and in-game leader, Yang “B3Ar” Zhanxiong. The conversation, documented as part of Bilibili Gaming’s vlog, captured bail reassuring him not to feel overly pressured, both during the game and in his role as the shot-caller.
Nevertheless, the head coaching responsibility still lies with Li “Xpz” Zhiqiang, as he was present in the coaching room during the match. The status of bail’s future with Bilibili Gaming for the upcoming Stage 1 of VCT CN remains unknown, as there has been no official announcement regarding his role.
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(Photos courtesy of Bilibili Gaming)
bail previously served as the coach for Gen.G during the entire 2023 VCT Pacific season in Seoul, contributing to the team’s efforts with head coach Chris “Elmapuddy” Tebbit that led to a fourth-place finish in the league and a third-place position in its LCQ. Before his tenure with Gen.G, bail led NORTHEPTION who represented Japan at VALORANT Masters Copenhagen following their victory in the 2022 VCT Japan Stage 2 Challengers Playoffs, triumphing over tournament favorites ZETA DIVISION.
The Korean coach is not entirely new to Chinese VALORANT, however, having briefly coached ODG Esports Club during the China Evolution Series Act II and III, though the team did not make any main event appearances.
However, despite his various coaching accomplishments in VALORANT, bail is still best known as a former member of the legendary Korean CS 1.6 roster of WeMade FOX. Notably, all four of his former teammates from that period have now transitioned into coaching Korean VALORANT teams at the highest level: Keun-chul “solo” Kang with Gen.G, Seon-ho “termi” Pyeon and Kim “glow” Min-soo with DRX, and Bum-gi “peri” Jung with Dplus KIA.
bail made a name for himself back in the 2000s, as he was a part of the renowned e-STRO and WeMade FOX lineup that dominated Asian Counter-Strike in the early days. His squad garnered prominence in the past by winning the IEF 2008, WEG e-Stars 2009 – Continental Cup, and World eSports Masters 2010, as well as placing well in many international top-tier competitions.
Bilibili Gaming concluded their campaign at VCT CN KICKOFF with a fifth-place finish, falling short in the decisive Play-In match against Trace Esports. The showdown reached its climax in a nail-biting fashion, as a heart-stopping 0.13-second defuse denied Bilibili Gaming a potential victory. Ultimately, Trace Esports emerged victorious with a hard-fought 2-1 win, securing scores on Lotus (11-13), Sunset (15-13), and Bind (14-12). This outcome eliminated Bilibili Gaming and dashed their hopes of qualifying for Madrid.
Should bail make his stay with Bilibili Gaming permanent, their roster could be:
- 🇨🇳 Wang “whz” Haozhe
- 🇨🇳 Zhong “Biank” Jianfei
- 🇨🇳 Liu “Knight” Yuxiang
- 🇨🇳 Wang “yosemite” Lei
- 🇨🇳 Yang “B3Ar” Zhanxiong
- 🇨🇳 Li “Xpz” Zhiqiang (Head coach)
- 🇨🇳 Wang “JeXeN” Linxiao (Coach)
- 🇰🇷 Lee “bail” Sung-jae (Coach)
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Cover photo courtesy of Bilibili Gaming
