“Western teams got a big chance:” TES 369 speaks on First Stand and facing Zeus again

Top Esports’ journey at League of Legends’ First Stand 2025 begins with an intense matchup against Hanwha Life Esports. But according to their top laner, it’s not the LCK representatives whom they should fear.

The First Stand tournament marks an important chapter in this year’s competitive calendar for League of Legends, with the best teams from around the world fighting for an extra spot in the 2025 Mid Season Invitational. Five teams will battle it out in an intense one-week competition, and among them the LPL representatives aiming to claim the international supremacy once again.

In an interview with Dot Esports, TES’ top laner Bai “369” Jia-Hao spoke about his team’s mindset heading into the tournament, the growing strength of Western teams, and his own development as a player.

During MSI 2024, 369 acknowledged that Western teams had made significant strides against Eastern teams, but at Worlds, they failed to maintain that momentum. When asked whether Western teams have a better shot at an international title this time, he agreed.

“For the first time, Western teams got a big chance to have a very good result,” the player said. He pointed out that First Stand’s tight schedule could work in their favor, as Western teams have shown a strong ability to adapt to new metas very quickly—but that’s not their only strong suit according to 369.

First Stand introduces the Fearless Draft system to League’s international events, and Western teams have a reputation for unconventional picks. “They are very innovative teams, so maybe they can have some joker picks coming up in the tournament,” 369 said, specifically alluding to rumors of an off-meta Teemo pick from Karmine Corp.

Despite his admiration for their ingenuity, 369 has stuck to a more traditional champion pool this year. “You need to really do the fundamental things well, and after that, you can experiment with special picks or playstyles,” he explained.

Despite focusing more on Western teams than before, 369 has little to fear about surprising picks in his direct matches, as all top laners in the tournament are from an Eastern country — a “fun fact,” as he described it. TES’ top laner found this fact amusing but noted that at the highest level “details really matter,” hinting that minor differences in mechanics or game sense could be why top-tier Western top laners are absent even from LEC and LTA teams.

TES’ opening match at First Stand will be against Hanwha Life Esports, and 369 will go up against Zeus, the former T1 top laner who eliminated him from Worlds 2024—an opponent who provides an extra motivation for a win. “I really have a strong desire for revenge against them, and I need to do my best to make this revenge happen,” 369 declared.

But this matchup will be more than just a top lakers’ rivalry as it will serve as a crucial test of the LPL’s strength in comparison to the LCK this 2025. Currently, HLE sits atop many power rankings for First Stand, edging out TES who didn’t have a powerful start of the year in comparison. However, TES has the potential to prove doubters wrong and show that their region is still a force to be reckoned with.

“Our goal is always to do better and better in every single game, every single series.” the top laner continued. “So if we can really do that to keep improving and improving, I believe we’re going to win the final title.”

As TES enter First Stand, they are a formidable contender, but their journey is far from certain. Their consistency will be their biggest hurdle, but if they find their peak form, they could challenge the tournament favorites and potentially claim the championship.