Since Bilibili Gaming’s elimination in the quarterfinals of the Esports World Cup, Yang "Beichuan" Ling has remained out of the spotlight. The jungler missed his team’s first four matches of the LPL’s third split, with Zhao "Shadow" Zhiqiang stepping in as his replacement. Until now, BLG had not commented on Beichuan’s absence, but on Tuesday, the organization released an official statement on Weibo explaining the situation. According to the team, Beichuan is suffering from neck and shoulder pain, which has reportedly worsened in recent days.

"Beichuan will undergo a prescribed treatment plan following a medical examination," Bilibili Gaming stated. "To prioritize his health, and after consultation with the club, he will not travel with the team for several matches, in order to fully focus on his recovery." As a result, the 24-year-old jungler wont't play in Wednesday’s match against JD Gaming, and no specific timeline for his return has been provided. Despite Beichuan’s absence, BLG has had a strong start to the third split of the year, securing four wins and no losses.

Common in the pro scene

This is not the first time a professional League of Legends player has been sidelined due to injury. The most notable case remains that of the GOAT, Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok, who missed several weeks of the 2023 LCK Summer Split because of an arm injury. In Europe, Oscar “Oscarinin” Munoz also sat out the 2023 LEC Season Finals after undergoing hand surgery. More recently, during the summer of 2024, AD Carry Théo "Booshi" Mouchiroud was forced to step back and attend physical therapy sessions to recover from a forearm injury.