Crucial elimination matches in the Swiss Stage have concluded at the 2026 League of Legends World Championship. Following intense clashes, the main hopes for North America and Europe — Team Liquid Alienware (TLAW) and G2 Esports — are leaving the tournament. Meanwhile, the Brazilian squad LOS and the reigning MSI champions Hanwha Life Esports (HLE) keep their playoff hopes alive.
LOS Continues to Surprise, Eliminating LCS Champions
The Brazilian team LOS, which started the tournament as an underdog, created another sensation by defeating the LCS first seed, Team Liquid Alienware, with a score of 2:1.
The first game ended in favor of LOS in 29 minutes thanks to Trundle's domination played by Curse and flawless team fights, allowing the Brazilians to close the map with a kill score of 15:7. TLAW managed to bounce back in the second set: Yeon's aggressive play on Lucian, timely support from Nami (CoreJJ), and crucial actions from Josedeodo on Xin Zhao allowed the North Americans to secure the Dragon Soul, Baron, and finish the map at the 38-minute mark.
The decisive third game turned into a 47-minute endurance test. LOS seized an early advantage, but TLAW put up a long resistance thanks to a stolen Dragon by Yeon and heroic defensive efforts. Everything was decided in the final battle for the Elder Dragon, where LOS managed to take down key enemy champions, subsequently destroying TLAW's Nexus with a kill score of 16:5.
Hanwha Life Esports Leaves G2 Esports with No Chances
Another elimination match featured two giants — the Korean MSI champions Hanwha Life Esports and the European champions G2 Esports. The Korean squad confidently closed the series with a 2:0 score.
In the first game, G2 tried to force aggression in the bottom lane, but HLE quickly seized the initiative. Zeus became an absolute problem for the Europeans, turning into an unkillable tank, while jungler Kanavi constantly punished G2 for their mistakes. After a crushing team fight near Baron, HLE ended the game in 27 minutes with a score of 22:10.
The second map began with successful actions by BrokenBlade on Camille against Zeus, but G2 could not hold onto their micro-advantage. The team repeatedly overestimated their strength, which HLE capitalized on. Zeka's Swain dealt critical damage and survived in key moments, allowing the Koreans to take total map control and close the series in 26 minutes (19:7).
Following the matches, Team Liquid Alienware and G2 Esports conclude their run at Worlds 2026, tying for 12th-14th place and receiving $125,000 each in consolation prize money. LOS and Hanwha Life Esports avoid elimination and earn one last chance to qualify for the Knockout Stage.
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