Invictus Gaming defeated Top Esports 3-1 in the opening Worlds 2026 quarterfinal in Allen, Texas. The result sends the LPL team to its first Worlds semifinal since 2019.
Invictus Gaming defeated Top Esports 3-1 in the opening quarterfinal of the 2026 League of Legends World Championship, reaching the semifinals for the first time since 2019. The all-LPL series was played Tuesday, Nov. 3, at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center in Allen, Texas.
The result also secured China a place in the final four after the LPL went 0-4 in the Swiss Stage. Invictus Gaming will face the winner of Wednesday’s quarterfinal between Gen.G and LYON.
Invictus Gaming closes out the series
Invictus Gaming took the opening game, then Top Esports leveled the match in Game 2. Invictus Gaming won the next two games to eliminate its regional opponent and advance from the first best-of-five series in the Knockout Stage.
Top Esports entered the quarterfinal with Bai “369” Jia-Hao in its starting lineup. The team announced on Oct. 6 that 369 would replace Cheng “ZUIAN” Zi-Hao because of visa problems. The substitute helped Top Esports win the second game, but Invictus Gaming recovered to finish the series.
All Knockout Stage matches use a single-elimination best-of-five format with Fearless Draft. Invictus Gaming and Top Esports had already met twice in best-of-five matches during September. Invictus Gaming won 3-2 in the LPL Split 3 playoffs on Sept. 5, while Top Esports won 3-1 in the LPL Regional Finals on Sept. 17.
A return to the semifinals
Invictus Gaming’s run includes the return of Kang “TheShy” Seung-lok and Song “Rookie” Eui-jin, who were both on a break before the team asked them to rejoin during LPL Split 3. The pair were members of Invictus Gaming’s 2018 world championship roster and helped the team qualify for Worlds 2026.
“I came back to keep my word.”
TheShy said the line after the quarterfinal, referring to a promise he had made to Invictus Gaming’s CEO to help if the organization asked him to return.
Prize money and the remaining bracket
Invictus Gaming is guaranteed at least $400,000, the amount awarded to each losing semifinalist. Worlds 2026 has a total prize pool of $5 million, with $1 million reserved for the champion.
- Gen.G and LYON meet in the next quarterfinal Wednesday.
- Dplus KIA face Bilibili Gaming on Thursday.
- Three-time defending champion T1 face Karmine Corp on Friday.
The grand final is scheduled for Nov. 14 at Barclays Center in New York. The other Knockout Stage matches will be played in Allen.
