If there’s any workforce you have to be rooting for proper now in League of Legends esports, it needs to be Workforce WE. This mid-pack workforce pulled off not one, however two of the best upsets of the season and are actually one collection away from qualifying for the Mid-Season Invitational.
Whereas everybody loves an underdog story, Workforce WE’s success feels totally different. As soon as thought-about one of many faces of Chinese language esports, the workforce is way from its superb days. Might this be the beginning of a brand new chapter? And are they some of the harmful groups to face on the planet, proper now?
A Powerful Begin to the 2026 Season
In the beginning of the season, Workforce WE had shaped a roster that didn’t actually stand out from the pack. It saved its prime aspect trio of Dai “Dice” Yi, Wang “Monki” Meng-Qi, and Kim “Karis” Hong-jo and introduced in a brand new bot lane with Korean ADC Moon “About” Hyeong-seok and Chen “yaoyao” Si-Yuan, following the departure of Kim “Taeyoon” Tae-yoon and Zhao “Vampire” Zhe-can.
The primary cut up of the 2026 season glided by with out many surprises, with Workforce WE consistently within the mid-pack. Their top-eight end, nevertheless, allowed them to be positioned with the massive boys in Group Ascend for the second cut up.
Whereas enjoying with robust groups might help weaker groups enhance, Workforce WE struggled to seek out its footing within the LPL Cut up 2 common season, profitable just one of 14 matches.
Although the addition of assist Shi “Erha” Xu-Ye didn’t yield a lot in outcomes initially, Workforce WE was slowly bettering and constructing all the mandatory parts little by little, simply in time for when it mattered probably the most.
That is confirmed by the workforce’s recreation report: after dropping the primary 8 collection with 0-2 data, Workforce WE started profitable video games and taking maps from most groups, together with JD Gaming.
Regardless of a number of wins, the workforce nonetheless completed final in Group Ascend, forcing them to play LNG Esports within the play-ins stage.
The Play-Ins Survival Collection and the Upsets in Playoffs
Workforce WE’s rise in type got here precisely throughout this collection. After being pushed to 5 video games, Workforce WE got here again from a 5,000-gold deficit by way of their teamfighting and saved their playoff hopes alive. The difficulty was that BLG picked WE of their first spherical: the very best workforce within the league was dealing with the underside workforce of Group Ascend.
In opposition to all odds, Workforce WE took BLG down with a 3-1 report. The collection wasn’t clear, however the victory wasn’t simply all the way down to pure luck or BLG having a nasty day: Workforce WE fought again from dropping positions and outplayed what was thought-about the very best workforce on the planet by way of stronger coordination and cohesion.
Workforce WE proved to everybody that the victory was not a fluke, continuing to dismantle the #4 seed Anybody’s Legend with one other clear 3-0.
What Makes Workforce WE So Sturdy?
The scariest a part of Workforce WE proper now’s their cohesion as a five-man unit. They’ve confirmed to be extra coordinated than another workforce within the league, with all 5 gamers making the identical resolution.
And on the coronary heart of that cohesive decision-making is jungler Monki.
The man has established himself as the primary voice and shotcaller of the squad whereas additionally matching the very best junglers when it comes to particular person efficiency. When Monki requires a play, everybody on the workforce will comply with his directives, even when they won’t be excellent.
Dplus Kia head coach Kim “cvMax” Dae-ho had defined this idea prior to now: “If all 5 members come all the way down to make the identical resolution in any given circumstance, they’ll flip a improper reply proper.”
By eradicating the necessity to query whether or not a play is right within the second, Workforce WE can at all times be the primary to maneuver, placing stress on opponents to combat again. That is what occurred within the collection towards each BiliBili Gaming (BLG) and Anybody’s Legend (AL). Specifically, BLG was typically caught off guard in teamfight eventualities regardless of having the gold lead.
Prime laner Dice himself shared in an interview that he’s now extra vulnerable to listening to Monki’s performs: “I simply do no matter he tells me to do.”
In line with Chinese language esports analyst Lan Bao Shi (蓝宝石), Monki additionally has one other robust tendency in his gameplay that has labored out within the current victories: his willingness to vary tempo. In a meta the place most junglers are likely to full clear earlier than making performs, Monki typically tries to disrupt the orthodox jungle clears by way of sudden gank timers and pathings.
Whereas it’s a high-risk technique that may trigger him to fall behind in gold and expertise, Monki received out on a lot of these performs and constructed substantial leads for his workforce.
That doesn’t imply WE is flawless. The workforce nonetheless has some clear weaknesses; it’s simply that the meta helps cover a few of them.
For instance, prime laner Dice has been thriving in current weeks now that the meta has shifted in the direction of a extra weakside setting. In the beginning of the cut up, when it was nonetheless about lane dominance, he struggled to maintain up with the very best prime laners.
Now, he’s capable of take up that stress and persistently present up within the fights with sufficient assets.
Bot laner About additionally had preliminary struggles in adapting earlier this season. It’s not a coincidence that Workforce WE’s rise additionally aligned with About’s improved efficiency. All esports groups have to depend on their ADC within the late-game teamfights, so the Korean marksman should preserve his type shifting ahead.
Moreover, Monki is also focused by different groups shifting ahead, realizing how very important his pathings are for the squad.
And Workforce WE Can Truly Make it to MSI
Might Workforce WE make it to the Mid-Season Invitational? To place it merely, the possibilities are actual. Not solely did Workforce WE show they’ll take down the highest groups, however their gameplay is stable as properly.
The higher bracket closing collection towards Prime Esports won’t solely be essential for figuring out which LPL workforce would be the first locked for MSI, however may also make clear whether or not Workforce WE will be exploited for its weaknesses.
If Prime Esports (TES) manages to win, it’ll change into golden materials for Workforce WE’s future opponents to assessment and examine. If they’ll’t, then this Workforce WE roster is usually a scary opponent for MSI.
No matter the way it goes, Monki and his teammates could have the momentum on their aspect. Caedrel stated it greatest: “This workforce simply looks like they’re on a run. They’ve received one thing behind them. They’ve received momentum. They’ve received perception. All of the gamers are purchased into this concept, this type they’ve adopted… It’s like lightning in a bottle.”
The query is: Will Workforce WE proceed to evolve, or will the opposite LPL groups catch up first? The reply will straight dictate whether or not they will be a prime canine for the remainder of the season.
