Bilibili Gaming advanced to the Main Event of the 2025 Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) after an undefeated run through the play-ins, capped off by a dominant 3-0 sweep over G2 Esports. Despite the strong results, AD Carry Zhao "Elk" Jia-Hao remains unfazed, embracing a mindset focused on constant improvement. In an exclusive interview with Sheep Esports, the Chinese star reflects on the recent win, shares advice for European teams, talks about his goal of lifting the trophy, and discusses his experience in Vancouver so far.

How do you keep crushing our European hopes so well?

Zhao "Elk" Jia-Hao: "I always feel like if we just show our full potential, we can always win, regardless of who we face.

How do you think G2 played today? Do you think Europe needs to approach things differently? What should they look to improve?

Elk: There are two very important things. The first one is the laning phase. Obviously, it really depends on individual ability and mechanics, though. Secondly, I’d say some details in teamfights—especially around communication, certain ideas, and shot calling. I’d say fights around neutral objectives especially are always the most important. If you have a very good combo and good shot calling, it can turn whole scenarios around. It’s crucial. Those two aspects are, in my mind, the most important to focus on to improve.

You went 6-0 in the Play-In stage and are heading into the Main Event. Do you think BLG has made a strong statement that you're here to win it all?

Elk: I must say, in terms of my individual performance, I’m not that satisfied, because in the laning phase there are still some details I can just do better. I don’t feel like I’ve shown my full potential on stage yet. There are so many things we still need to fix, and we still have some room to make more progress in the future. Also, our journey at this MSI has just started. So we still need to do more preparation, try to fix our mistakes, and adapt well to the upcoming matches—because, you know, the knockout stage has so many other strong teams. We really need to do well with the preparation.

Are there any teams you fear at MSI? Or do you feel like no team is unbeatable for BLG?

Elk: We don't know our first opponents yet, but there’s a good chance we’ll have to face LCK teams at one point or another. For them, we need to be super careful on stage. But also, no matter what kind of opponents we’re going to face, the most crucial part for us is always to keep our momentum good and try to do well in all kind of small details, in our macro as well. We have potential, especially if we adapt well.

You’ve remind me of an “uncrowned king” due to your talent but lack of international title. Do you see MSI 2025 as your chance to finally win a trophy? And do you believe in the so-called curse of second place?

Elk: We’ve often qualified for finals, but we often ended up as runner-ups, which is a pity. We left so many regrets on those past stages. We never did as well as our opponents, but we’re still going to work just as hard because becoming champions will always be BLG’s aim. It just encourages us to work harder and make fewer mistakes. I don’t treat it as a curse—rather, it’s us underperforming or not having the right momentum at those times.

What would you say to those who are underestimating BLG because you came in as the second seed?

Elk: For this MSI, because we are the second seed, we always treat ourselves as challengers and learners. There’s no need to care about other people’s opinions. We concentrate on ourselves, and it’s only motivation to keep working harder.

You once said, “Hard work does not equal success, but success requires hard work.” Do you still believe in that today?

Elk: Yeah, I always stand by this quote because I feel like I would regret it so much if there was an opportunity to win, and I didn’t have the strength to grab it. If anything, in all matches, if there’s an opportunity, I try my best and prepare so I can grab that chance when it comes.

Do pro players at MSI ever have time to think about things other than League of Legends while traveling, or is it all just focused on the game?

Elk: Moving to a new city or country for tournaments is always a new experience for me. I like to—if we’ve got some time—just do some city walking, visit tourist attractions, and experience something new from the city or the culture, that kind of stuff. But for us as pro players, our first goal is always the game and practice. When the job’s done, or if we get some rest time, maybe I’ll just explore the city more."