Dplus KIA and Gen.G Advance to Worlds 2026 Quarter-Finals
Dplus KIA dominated both games against Movistar KOI
Dplus KIA arrived at this series after beating G2 Esports and T1. In the Movistar KOI matchup, whichever team claimed two games first would take the series. The longer format made no difference to Dplus: they closed out the opener in 39 minutes and wrapped up the second in roughly 25.
Smash sealed Game 1 with a Kai’Sa pentakill in the final teamfight, the first pentakill of Worlds 2026. He finished the game with eight kills, a single death and two assists. In Game 2, ShowMaker took the mid lane on Syndra and went 9/0/2, helping Dplus KIA build a 17-to-five kill advantage.
Gen.G faced a far tougher series
LYON took the first game by controlling Baron Nashor, the dragons and towers. The North American side grabbed an early Baron, pushed hard through the middle lane and later secured a second Baron before closing it out. Gen.G picked up kills but could not convert them into map control.
Gen.G bounced back in Game 2, when Kiin’s Ambessa overwhelmed LYON’s front line. LYON held an early lead in the decisive game, yet Gen.G kept pace economically. A skirmish near the dragon pit turned things around: Kiin’s Camille reached the carries, and Ruler’s Ezreal delivered the damage that sealed the comeback.
Two undefeated Swiss-stage records
- Dplus KIA: 3-0 in series, 4-0 in games; victories over G2, T1 and Movistar KOI.
- Gen.G: 3-0 in series, 4-1 in games; victories over Invictus Gaming, Hanwha Life and LYON.
Identical 3-0 records despite different routes
Dplus KIA finished the Swiss stage without losing a single game. Gen.G dropped one game to LYON yet won all three series. Both squads now skip the remaining Swiss rounds and gain extra preparation time before a quarter-final that requires three game wins.
Movistar KOI and LYON dropped into the 2-1 group. Each was one series win away from qualifying and still had two chances to advance. The first two knockout spots therefore went to LCK teams, while every other region continued through at least one more Swiss round.
