Invictus Gaming won the all-LPL quarterfinal against Top Esports 3-1 and became the first team into the Worlds 2026 semifinals. The result revives a Chinese campaign that opened 0-4 in the Swiss Stage and puts the 2018 champions’ core back in title contention.
Invictus Gaming are into the last four at Worlds 2026. The LPL’s fourth seed knocked out compatriot Top Esports at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center on November 3. The series opened the Knockout Stage. It was also the only quarterfinal between two LPL teams.
The win ends a long wait. IG last reached a Worlds semifinal in 2019, when they finished tied for 3rd-4th. Last year they placed 17th at the event. Top laner TheShy and mid laner Rookie won Worlds together in 2018. The reunited pair are now chasing the team’s first world title since that year.
IG reversed their Regional Finals loss to TES
Top Esports entered Worlds as the LPL’s third seed, one spot above IG. The two sides knew each other well. They met twice in best-of-fives in September. IG won 3-2 in the LPL Split 3 playoffs on September 5. TES answered with a 3-1 win in the LPL Regional Finals on September 17. The quarterfinal flipped that last result.
China’s campaign had started badly, with a 0-4 opening in the Swiss Stage. Both teams still found their way into the bracket. TES came from a game down to beat LPL rival Bilibili Gaming 2-1 in Round 4. IG beat LYON 2-1 in their own Round 4 match on October 28.
TES were short-handed throughout. Bai “369” Jia-Hao played the whole tournament as a late stand-in. Starting top laner Cheng “ZUIAN” Zihao had visa problems. The team had finished 3rd-4th at Worlds 2025. This time their run stopped in the quarterfinals.
IG await Gen.G or LYON, who already met in Swiss
IG’s semifinal opponent will come from LCK side Gen.G and North America’s LYON. That quarterfinal was set for November 4. The two sides have already played each other at this event. Gen.G beat LYON 2-1 in Round 3 of the Swiss Stage on October 25.
The quarterfinal draw on October 31 randomly matched the two 3-0 Swiss teams against two of the 3-2 teams. IG’s win means one Chinese team is guaranteed a semifinal spot. Its next opponent will be either a Korean or a North American side.
Quarterfinals and semifinals in Allen start at 4 PM CST. The final follows on Saturday, November 14 at 2 PM EST in Brooklyn.
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