Worlds 2025 Swiss Stage Day Eight: 2024 Worlds Finalists in Must Win Games

The finalists from the 2024 Worlds Final find themselves in a stressful position. Both teams are in the 1-2 Bracket of the Swiss Stage, facing elimination. Both are favored against their opponents. Bilibili Gaming faces the Brazilian representative Vivo Keyd Stars, while T1 battles 100 Thieves. Fans are more concerned about BLG, given that their losses came against Western opposition and they only beat Fnatic. T1 had a tougher road, losing to CTBC Flying Oyster and GenG Esports.

Worlds 2025: Swiss Stage Day Eight Schedule

The day begins at 1:00 AM PT (10:00 AM CET) with BLG against VKS. After that series concludes, T1 will take on 100T to continue their fight to defend the World Championship.

Worlds 2025: Bilibili Gaming Versus Vivo Keyd Stars

BLG 2-1 VKS

In theory, BLG should dominate the series. Their ceiling is significantly higher than that of VKS. However, BLG has not come close to hitting that mark during the Swiss Stage so far. If BLG struggles, VKS has what it takes to win against the LPL 1st seed. If BLG regain their form, the series could be over before VKS get a chance to find their footing. VKS’s biggest pain point is that they generally build leads through the mid lane, but against Knight, that might prove impossible.

Worlds 2025: T1 Versus 100 Thieves

T1 2-0 100T

T1 being in the 1-2 Bracket does not tell the story of their Swiss Stage. They faced difficult opposition in the form of CFO and GenG. They could have beaten CFO, but were stomped by GenG. The defending World Champions have struggled to find their draft strategy and have lacked their X factor. The T1 players are individually better than 100T, and they should shine through in their series. Even if they are not in their best form, T1’s floor is likely better than 100T’s ceiling.

Avoiding Embarrassment

If T1 or BLG falter in their series, that will be a disappointment for both organizations. Having been finalists last year, anything short of a top-four finish is a failure. However, even with a win, they must still conquer another foe in the 2-2 Bracket, who will likely be significantly better than their current opponents.