Despite entering with confidence and the might of a dragon, LNG Esports failed to meet expectations at the League of Legends 2024 World Championship, falling prey to the all-seeing eye of Weibo Gaming on Thursday. Now, the Chinese representatives must come to terms with the difficult reality of being the first LPL representatives eliminated from the tournament and having to return home. In an exclusive interview with Sheep Esports, the team's support, Hang, discusses his experience at Worlds, the reasons behind the loss, and the path forward for himself and his team.

How do you feel after this disappointing result, especially with it being the second year in a row you've exited in the quarterfinals?

Fu "Hang" Ming-Hang: "We were way too afraid to play our game today. Even when we had advantages, we couldn't pull the trigger and got too nervous to make plays and engage. That's the key issue we had against Weibo. I feel really disappointed we couldn't pull it together.

You're one of the youngest players on the team at 21, playing with veterans. Did you or the team feel any stress today, given last year's results and your relative inexperience?

Hang: To be honest, I don't think we felt any particular stress or pressure today. For us, playing on stage like this is natural, and our team atmosphere was fine before the match.

You came in as heavy favorites today, especially after your 3-0 in the Swiss stage. Do you think the pressure of those expectations made it harder for you to perform against Weibo Gaming?

Hang: If anything, I think Weibo Gaming had an edge because they have much more experience in key matches at Worlds than we do. I don't think we really felt the weight of expectations, especially since we saw them as a strong opponent. Our performance today was simply not good, and we couldn’t execute well.

You played well in the Swiss stage, but today you and your team seemed off. Do you think you underperformed personally?

Hang: During the Swiss stage and scrims, we were doing really well. Today, we thought we could just play the same way, but we choked and underperformed hard. Some of us got anxious—it was very uncharacteristic, and I was surprised we played this poorly. It's really a pity we couldn’t make it.

I don’t think I did well today; I definitely underperformed. In key moments, I could have done much more and communicated better with my teammates. I didn’t have as big an impact as I could’ve had.

You're still a young player, and this is only your second Worlds. Are there any positives you can take from this tournament that will help you show up stronger in 2025?

Hang: I’ve qualified and played at Worlds for two years in a row now. Those experiences have definitely helped me grow as a player. But I think Worlds is also about team coordination and personal mechanics—things we need to work on before coming here. My age or how many times I’ve been to Worlds doesn’t matter that much in the end.

Is there something specific from this experience you’ll apply next year?

Hang: I feel like my major learning from this year is to step up more when our team falls behind. In games one and two, I didn’t manage to speak up and fix our issues during breaks. I feel like I could have done more, and our team sank quickly. Next time, no matter what, I need to raise my opinions and communicate more.

Considering the struggles earlier this year and the issues with Scout before the tournament, do you think 2024 was a success or a failure for your team?

Hang: This run was obviously a failure. My teammates and I didn’t just want to make it to quarters and call it a day. Everyone here wants to win, and there isn’t much more to say—our results speak for themselves.

Do you have a message for your fans and supporters?

Hang: I really apologize for letting you down. I hope we can bounce back and prove that we can be better than this."