Round 4 of the LoL Worlds 2025 Swiss Stage wrapped up with two elimination matches that went (mostly) according to our prediction – although it wasn’t as clean as the scores might suggest. Both BLG and T1 survived to see another day, sending VKS and 100T back home after 2-0 series wins.

Bilibili Gaming vs Vivo Keyd Stars

BLG were the heavy favorites coming into this matchup, and while the end result might mirror that, the actual games didn’t really scream comfort. Game 1 against VKS started a bit shakier than expected: BLG’s setups around objectives felt hesitant, early-diving Boal only to give him the double kill etc. But once Knight and Elk found their footing, the LPL squad started snowballing. Knight started dishing out crazy damage on Ziggs, Elk’s Kai’Sa started to sting, and ON had some great ult moments on Neeko. Just, once the map opened, BLG started to suffocate VKS on every front, and they ran away with the point.

Game 2 was a bit different. VKS showed real bite, refusing to roll over, matching BLG’s tempo and forced many good trades that kept the gold close well into the mid game. For a moment, it really looked like an upset was brewing – until BLG’s experience took over. Shad0w began dictating the pace with Xin Zhao, and Knight’s fed LeBlanc was dishing too much damage, chunking people’s HP bar hard with a single combo. VKS did good, up until the point they didn’t. One messy fight near Baron, and it was all that BLG needed to snowball and close the game.

Still, VKS walk away from the series with their heads high. They pushed one of the strongest teams right now harder than most of us expected, and honestly, for a region that struggles to compete on this stage, their performance was one to remember.

T1 vs 100 Thieves

The series against T1 was both a last-shot and a statement for 100T. They came in as the underdog with a thing to prove. Dhokla was trading invades 2 for 1, Quid holding his own against Faker (even solo-killing him in the process); things were looking good for 100 Thieves. Until they didn’t.

Game 1 opened with neither side showing dominance in the first 30 minutes. 100 Thieves kept themselves in it: they traded objectives, kept up on farming, and didn’t give in to the pressure of Worlds (and the fact that they played T1 in the do-or-die game). And yet, one key mid-game fight around the Baron pit, and T1 showed why they’re still considered as one of the top contenders for the trophy. The balanced game we had for 30 minutes turned into a gradual slide. Once T1 got the map control, the gold graph began to tilt hard, and all the small advantages that 100T had earlier, started evaporating.

The pressure visibly hit 100 Thieves in Game 2. By the game ended, they had secured 0 turrets, 1 Drake, and 1 Rift Herald – and that’s pretty much all they’ve done for the whole game (aside of keeping up the scoreboard even for some time). 100T fought – certainly, but their skirmishes lacked the follow-through, and their macro plays were meh. T1, one the other hand, went from 0 to 100 real quick: they might have not dominated from the jump, but once the game went deeper, they looked confident, composed and far more efficient.

T1 didn’t panic, even if the first 20 minutes look eerily even. They didn’t overcommit, and didn’t gamble wildly. Meanwhile 100 Thieves with all the spark and potential, ran out of gas when the pressure started kicking in. Moments of brilliance – yes, but no game-breakers when it counts.

So, as I predicted – BLG and T1 are through to the Round 5 of the Swiss, both teams avoiding disaster, even if the performances weren’t as flawless as the score indicates. Vivo Keyd Stars and 100 Thieves bow out with pride, and the satisfaction of making the favorites’ day a bit more uncomfortable than it should’ve been.