JDG Vampire on The First Stand 2026 elimination: “BLG’s early game was much stronger than ours.”

In the second semifinal of The First Stand 2026, JD Gaming (JDG) and Bilibili Gaming (BLG) faced off in the latest all-Chinese clash for the final spot in the Grand Finals. With elimination on the line, there were no second chances for either team to keep their run alive. In the end, BLG secured a dominant victory over JDG.

For JDG Zhao “Vampire” Zhe-Can, BLG’s early aggression made things even more difficult, as the team struggled to build a clear advantage and convert it into a win. The support also reflected on his first international experience and the strong support he received from the Brazilian fans.

Playing against BLG at The First Stand 2026

JDG and BLG know each other well from the League of Legends Pro League (LPL). Heading into the First Stand 2026 semifinal, JDG had one shot at making it back to an international final, but BLG stood in their way. After a tough 0–3 loss, the team’s support reflected on how the series could have gone differently.

“I feel like BLG’s early game was much stronger than ours,” JDG Vampire said. “We need to learn more from them.”

Vampire introduced the first Lux pick of the tournament, pairing it with Caitlyn in the bot lane. While the duo found early success in lane, they were unable to convert that advantage into a favorable result. “We discussed this combo before the match, and it’s very versatile since it creates space for our other lanes in draft,” he explained.

However, he acknowledged that Bilibili Gaming brought some unexpected picks into the series, making the second and third games much harder for him to have an impact. “We hadn’t practiced those bot lane matchups much, so it all felt very new to us,” he added.

While making his international debut, JDG Vampire said he didn’t feel much pressure for playing at The First Stand stage. “I can really feel the passion from the local crowd. It’s actually quite similar to playing in the LPL,” he explained. “I don’t feel much of a difference.”

For him, the biggest takeaway from the tournament was the opportunity to face players from different regions, allowing him to experience new approaches to the game.

JDG Vampire on the fan support

One of the things that surprised JDG Vampire the most was the energy and support from the fans in the arena every day. “There was one Brazilian fan who came to support us every day, and she always greeting us and cheering passionately,” he said. “It’s really impressive to see we have so many fans in Brazil, so far from home.”

After a few months playing alongside Chen “GALA” Wei, one of the most experienced ADCs in the world, Vampire said they’ve been working hard to improve their communication and learn from each other. “We communicate much more than before, and he’s always willing to help me and give me advice.” In the series, he believes their synergy was good and the teamfights were solid. “We need to focus on her early game,” he added.

For all the fans who believe in the team, the support has some words for them.

I would like to thank all the fans for their incredible support. In the future, we will work harder to get better results in the tournaments.

JDG Vampire

JDG will be back on LPL stage still in March, but the date of the beginning of Split 2 has yet to be confirmed. You can watch the games through the LPL English stream or other co-streamers as the official English broadcast ended at the start of 2025.