The first split of LPL 2025 concluded with a series of unexpected results that affected the balance of power in the region. The tournament introduced new names and showed that even favorites can face challenges. In this article, we will review the main surprises and disappointments of LPL Split 1 2025.

Main Surprise of the Tournament

The main sensation was the victory of Top Esports. In the group stage, they lost only one series against – Anyone’s Legend, who later became their opponents in the grand final. For the club, this is their second championship in the LPL; the last time they won was during the COVID era, in 2020. However, TES's path to the final was far from easy, as they had to start from the lower bracket of the playoffs.

On their way, they overcame Invictus Gaming, who assembled a star-studded lineup, NiP under the leadership of Doinb, LPL giants Bilibili Gaming, and the revamped JD Gaming. Thanks to strong individual performances and excellent macro, Top Esports managed to get revenge on Anyone’s Legend in the final and claim the title of LPL 2025 Split 1 champions.

Interestingly, TES won all their playoff matches with a score of 3:1. Overall, this shows that the team feels comfortable in the Fearless Draft system where you cannot choose the same champion twice. It was evident from the game that Top Esports understood how the Fearless Draft works and prepared well, having a large champion pool at their disposal. This allowed the coaching staff to create a variety of drafts, which in turn became one of the keys to TES's victory in LPL Split 1 2025.

Biggest Disappointments of the Tournament

Bilibili Gaming started the season as the reigning LPL champions and showed readiness to fight for the title again. However, an unexpected loss in the group stage to ThunderTalk Gaming raised doubts about their form. Like TES, BLG started the playoffs from the lower bracket, where they initially defeated Weibo Gaming and took revenge on ThunderTalk Gaming. However, in the crucial match against Top Esports, the team looked toothless, which was a big disappointment for the fans.

Another disappointment of the tournament was the performance of Invictus Gaming. The team gathered part of the legendary Worlds-winning roster, complementing it with two LPL stars – GALA and Meiko. It was expected that this lineup could contend for high positions, but the result was far from expectations. IG was eliminated in their very first playoff match, which came as a real shock. Perhaps the team lacked time to gel, but such a result can hardly be considered satisfactory.

LPL Split 1 2025 demonstrated that the region is in constant flux. New teams challenge the old giants, and favorites cannot always confirm their status. Top Esports proved they could navigate a difficult path to the title, while Bilibili Gaming and Invictus Gaming faced serious problems. The second split of LPL 2025 starts on April 1 and will last until June 1. Will the giants be able to reclaim their leading positions? We will find out very soon.