Bilibili Gaming promote bud to main VCT CN roster
bud is confirmed to be part of Bilibili Gaming’s starting five at VCT CN Kickoff 2026.
CHINA – Bilibili Gaming have announced the promotion of former academy player Yang “bud” Renyu to their main VCT CN squad, with the rookie set to make his debut at VCT CN Kickoff 2026.
At the time of writing, BLG have yet to clarify whether bud is stepping in as a direct replacement or if the team is preparing a six-man rotation. However, Lu “Levius” Yinzhong has not been seen at this week’s VCT CN Winter Camp, which could hint at an impending change.
Information on bud is limited, but his first notable appearance came with Temperature X in the CN National Competition Season 4, where he played alongside former Fancy United Esports player Phan “gin” Văn Gin and several lesser-known domestic names. Temperature X did not reach the playoffs or main event, yet the roster drew enough interest to eventually be acquired and folded into BLG Academy.
More recently, that same core was signed by Invictus Gaming in November. iG went on to compete in the CN National Tournament Split Alpha Pro Division, eventually falling short in the grand finals to Xie “S1Mon” Mengxun’s Any Questions Gaming, missing out on a direct qualification spot to the Season Finals in Fuzhou last month.
In that best-of-five series, bud was repeatedly fielded on Waylay, as iG pushed AQ to a 2-3 finish. Across the past six months, his limited sample has also included picks on Yoru, Viper, and Breach.
By domestic standards, BLG’s 2025 season can be considered a success. They stayed in the hunt all year, landed podium finishes in all three events, and closed it out with a Stage 2 title in Chongqing. Internationally, though, they never quite met expectations, with inconsistency again showing up on the biggest stages.
If Levius is the one being moved, it would bring an end to a tough 2025 for the player. He struggled to find his footing even in domestic play and often looked like the roster’s biggest firepower question mark, finishing as BLG’s lowest-rated player across all three competitions and averaging a sub-1.0 rating.
BLG’s changes heading into 2026 have otherwise been minimal. The most notable shift comes from the coaching staff, where Lee “bail” Sung-jae has been replaced by former EDward Gaming coach Tang “Muggle” Shijun, bringing BLG back to fully Chinese-speaking comms.
Bilibili Gaming will make their first VCT appearance of 2026 at VCT CN Kickoff on January 25, where they will face the winner of All Gamers vs. Nova Esports.
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Cover photo courtesy of Bilibili Gaming