Weibo Gaming

Origins and Rebranding

The organization began as Suning Gaming on 28 December 2016, founded after the e-commerce company Suning.com acquired the team T.Bear Gaming. Its initial roster was formed to compete in China's secondary league, the LSPL, and consisted of players XiaoAL, Avoidless, dian, Fury, and Yoon. The team placed second in the 2017 LSPL spring regular season and later swept Young Miracles in the spring finals to qualify for the top-tier LPL.

For most of its early history, the team competed under the Suning name. A trademark application for "SN GAMING" filed in June 2017 was rejected by Chinese authorities. The court ruled that the word "GAMING" carried connotations of gambling and could negatively impact teenagers, so the club could only compete as "Suning". The organization operated as Suning Esports Club until a major rebrand in late 2021.

On 22 November 2021, it was officially announced that the Suning Esports Club's League of Legends division would be renamed Weibo Gaming, abbreviated as WBG, reflecting its new ownership under the social media platform Weibo. The team is also known as Weibo Gaming TapTap for sponsorship reasons.

League of Legends Legacy

Weibo Gaming's League of Legends team has established a significant legacy in the LPL. The organization first reached the global stage under its former Suning identity, finishing as the runner-up at the 2020 League of Legends World Championship. This early success set a high competitive standard for the club.

The team underwent a significant transformation ahead of the 2023 season, bringing in veteran stars like mid laner Li "Xiaohu" Yuanhao and support Liu "Crisp" Qingsong. Their domestic performance in 2023 was highly volatile and inconsistent. Following an underwhelming spring split, the organization recruited former World Champion coach Yang "Daeny" Dae-in in May 2023 in an effort to stabilize the team.

Despite these efforts, they finished sixth in the 2023 LPL Summer Split. Their season was salvaged by a narrow victory over EDward Gaming in the LPL Regional Finals, which secured China's fourth and final seed for the 2023 World Championship, keeping their international hopes alive.

The 2023 World Championship Run

Entering the 2023 World Championship as underdogs, Weibo Gaming authored one of the tournament's most memorable stories. They progressed through the newly introduced Swiss stage with a 3-2 record, consistently winning crucial elimination matches to advance.

In the knockout stage, Weibo first defeated North America's NRG Esports in the quarterfinals. They then achieved a massive upset in the semifinals, beating the heavily favored Chinese team and tournament favorites Bilibili Gaming 3-2. This Cinderella run led them to the Grand Finals at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul against the Korean dynasty T1.

In the final, Weibo Gaming was ultimately swept 0-3, finishing as the world runner-up for the second time in the organization's history. This 2023 run, from a sixth-place domestic finish to the world final, confirmed their reputation for dramatic postseason performances.

Multi-Game Expansion and Structure

Weibo Gaming is a multi-title esports organization owned by the Weibo Corporation. Beyond its flagship League of Legends squad, the organization fields professional teams in several other games, establishing itself as a top-tier Chinese organization. Its presence spans numerous popular esports titles.

In Overwatch, the organization acquired the team Once Again on 30 April 2025. It also maintains active rosters in PUBG Mobile, Rainbow Six Siege where it plays in the Asia Pacific League, and Valorant. The organization is described as having teams fully assembled across 14 different titles, indicating a broad and deep competitive portfolio.

Esports World Cup Partnership

Weibo Gaming is a member of the Esports World Cup Foundation Club Support Program. This program is funded by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and provides monetary rewards to teams for promoting the Esports World Cup tournament series and driving engagement towards it.

This partnership has drawn commentary from observers, with some viewing such initiatives as a sportswashing tool used to distract from Saudi Arabia's human rights record. As of September 2026, Weibo Gaming's team in the Esports World Cup circuit held a CC Ranking of 18. The team had played 33 matches, securing 17 wins and accumulating 1100 Total CC Points, demonstrating its active participation in this cross-title competitive ecosystem.

Coaching and Development

The organization has invested in coaching staff to develop its teams. On 8 January 2020, while still operating as Suning, the club announced that Kwon Young-jae, known by the ID Helper, had joined as an assistant coach for the League of Legends division. Helper had previously played for prominent Korean organizations like CJ Entus, Samsung, and Ever8, bringing valuable experience to the coaching staff.

This focus on coaching was evident again in 2023 with the hiring of coach Daeny to steady the volatile League of Legends roster. Such moves highlight the organization's strategy of blending star player signings with experienced coaching to achieve competitive success.