The first playoff participants have been determined following Day 3 of the Worlds 2026 Swiss stage. Korean teams Dplus KIA and Gen.G finished the stage with a perfect 3:0 record, securing their spots in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, teams from the Chinese LPL delivered confident performances, putting European and Korean favorites at risk of elimination.
Dplus KIA, the LCK's fourth seed, confidently defeated Movistar KOI 2:0. The first map featured a historic event: DK player Smash secured the tournament's first pentakill while playing Kai'Sa. In the second game, MKOI tried to surprise with an unconventional mid-lane Diana pick, but ShowMaker on his signature Syndra (9/0/2 scoreline) left his opponents with no chances.
Gen.G's path to the quarterfinals proved much more difficult. In a tense Bo3 series, they defeated LYON 2:1. LYON unexpectedly won the first map thanks to aggressive skirmishing and brilliant performances by Inspired and Berserker (on Kalista). However, Gen.G managed to turn the series around. In the second game, Kiin played a key role on Ambessa by constantly pressuring the side lanes, and in the decisive third map, the team showcased their signature mastery of poke compositions, with Canyon standing out on Jayce. LYON and MKOI drop to the 2:1 bracket and will have two more chances to reach the playoffs.
LPL representatives Invictus Gaming and Top Esports secured important Bo1 victories, improving their records to 2:1. iG sensationally crushed Korea's second seed, Hanwha Life Esports. The HLE bot lane of Gumayusi and Delight completely failed the game, finishing with a combined score of 0/13/7, while Rookie and JiaQi (on Yunara) led iG to a convincing victory.
In turn, Top Esports defeated the LEC's first seed, G2 Esports. TES successfully protected their ADC JackeyLove on Varus, allowing him to deal damage freely and secure teamfight victories for his squad, whereas G2's bottom lane pick (Ezreal and Karma) proved ineffective. It is also worth noting 369's remarkable return to the professional scene — his Ambessa gameplay became a major problem for G2. Now HLE and G2 hold a 1:2 record, and another loss will mean elimination from the tournament.
The remaining Round 3 matches will take place on Day 4 of the Swiss stage. Match schedule (EET):
Teams with a 1:1 record:
Teams with a 0:2 record (elimination matches):
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