LCK Dominance: Gen.G, Dplus KIA, and T1 Advance to Worlds 2026 Top 8

Gen.G and Dplus KIA were the only two teams among the 16 participants to finish the Swiss Stage with a perfect 3-0 record. Gen.G opened their campaign with a victory over LPL's IG, fueled by strong performances from Canyon and Chovy. They followed this with a dominant showing against Hanwha Life Esports, controlling all major objectives. In the third round, Gen.G secured their advancement by defeating LCS's Lion, maintaining an impressive 92% win rate (12-1) in Swiss Stage play since 2023.

Dplus KIA's run was defined by remarkable comebacks. In the first round, they overturned a deficit against G2, recovering from a 0-7 kill gap and a Baron loss. They repeated this feat against T1 in the second round, where a decisive team fight involving Smash's Kalista and Carer's Renata Glasc near the Elder Dragon turned the tide. Dplus KIA closed out the Swiss Stage in the third round with a 2-0 victory over Movistar KOI, featuring the tournament's first pentakill by Smash on Kai'Sa.

T1 secured their top-8 spot with a 3-1 record. After a loss to Dplus KIA in the second round, T1 bounced back by defeating CTBC Flying Oyster and then comfortably swept Movistar KOI 2-0 in the third round. This performance continues T1's long-standing legacy: since their first title in 2013 as SK Telecom T1, the organization has consistently reached at least the quarterfinals at the World Championship.