The League of Legends Worlds 2023 Play-Ins stage has officially begun, with PSG Talon and LOUD coming out on top in the first two games of the event. The former were able to handily defeat Rainbow7, while the latter took down GAM Esports. The matchups on Day 2 will feature teams from Japan, EMEA, the Pacific, and Vietnam.
The second game of the day will see Team BDS face off against Team Whales. Both organizations are making their international debut in League of Legends.
Team BDS are coming off the back of an incredible victory against Golden Guardians, while Team Whales will be looking to put Vietnam on the board at League of Legends Worlds 2023.
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Team BDS vs Team Whales League of Legends Worlds 2023 Play-Ins: Who is expected to win?
Prediction
Team BDS are the fourth-seeded team from EMEA's League of Legends Championship Series (LEC). The European roster showcased great performances and finished runners-up in the Spring Split. While the roster did not always maintain form throughout the year, the team garnered the attention of many fans for its tendency to lean toward unconventional picks.
Team BDS made a statement in the Worlds Qualifying Series against Golden Guardians by demolishing the LCS representatives 3-0. The LEC team was able to bring out spicy picks such as Garen and were very different in their overall playstyle.
Domestically, Team BDS always tended to favor scaling team comps and played slower with an emphasis on Dragon control. Against Golden Guardians, they turned it up a notch with relentless aggression and constant engagements to give no breathing room for the LCS team.
This bodes well for their first-ever international outing, as multiple playstyles and pocket picks can be extremely important in winning games.
Team Whales got off to an extremely strong start in the VCS 2023 Summer Split but petered off towards the end and were unable to claim the top spot. Despite this, they finished in the top two after being humbled 0-3 by Team Secret.
After this loss, Team Whales went on a fantastic lower bracket run with back-to-back 3-2 victories against Saigon Buffalo and Team Secret, allowing them to advance to the Grand Finals, where they faced off against GAM Esports.
The Vietnamese team were handily defeated by GAM Esports but showcased solid gameplay and signs of hope. The team's mid laner, Glory, and support, Bie, were also part of Vietnam's 2023 League of Legends Asian Games roster. Overall, expectations at League of Legends Worlds 2023 are low for Team Whales, the second seed from the VCS.
Team BDS should take home the series with a 2-0 scoreline unless Team Whales can surprise the EMEA team with unique strategies and champions. Even then, the Vietnamese team could likely take a game off Team BDS at best.
Head-to-head
Team BDS and Team Whales have never played against each other prior to this matchup.
Previous results
Team BDS' latest fixture was the Worlds Qualifying Series. The European team defeated the LCS' fourth seed, Golden Guardians, in a 3-0 stomping to qualify for League of Legends Worlds 2023.
Team Whales' most recent result was a 1-3 loss to GAM Esports in the VCS 2023 Summer Split Final.
Worlds 2023 rosters
Team BDS
- Top - Adam "Adam" Maanane
- Jungle - Théo "Sheo" Borile
- Mid - Ilias "nuc" Bizriken
- ADC - Juš "Crownie" Marušič
- Support - Labros "Labrov" Papoutsakis
- Head Coach - Adrien "GotoOne" Picard
Team Whales
- Top - Nguyễn "Sparda" Võ Anh Hoàng
- Jungle - Trần "BeanJ" Văn Chính
- Mid - Lê "Glory" Ngọc Vinh
- ADC - Trần "Artemis" Quốc Hưng
- Support - Trần "Bie" Đức Hiếu
- Head Coach - Huỳnh "Yuna" Văn Tân
Livestream details
The League of Legends Worlds 2023 Play-In stage matchup between Team BDS and Team Whales will take place on October 11, 2023, at 4 am PDT/1 pm CEST/4:30 pm IST. However, timings may vary if the previous series of the day featuring CTBC Flying Oyster and DetonatioN FocusMe ends early. LoL esports enthusiasts can tune into the following Riot Games broadcasts:
- Twitch: Riot Games
- YouTube: LoL Esports
Popular co-streams conducted by personalities such as Caedrel, IWDominate, and LS are also available as alternative options to watch League of Legends Worlds 2023.
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