Gen.G advances to semifinals after sweeping Lyon, while defending champion T1 faces Karmine Corp. on Saturday

Gen.G players (from left) Joo “Duro” Min-gyu, Park “Ruler” Ji-hoon, Jeong “Chovy” Ji-hoon, Kim “Canyon” Geon-bu and Kim “Kiin” Gi-in (Riot Games)
Gen.G players (from left) Joo “Duro” Min-gyu, Park “Ruler” Ji-hoon, Jeong “Chovy” Ji-hoon, Kim “Canyon” Geon-bu and Kim “Kiin” Gi-in (Riot Games)

South Korea's hopes of winning the 2026 League of Legends World Championship rest on Gen.G and T1 as the tournament enters its final stages in the US.

Gen.G advanced to the semifinals Thursday after defeating North America's Lyon 3-0 in the quarterfinals in Allen, Texas, extending its unbeaten run at this year's tournament.

The team had advanced through the Swiss Stage without losing a series. The stage features 16 teams matched against opponents with similar win-loss records. Three victories are required to advance to the eight-team knockout stage.

The victory secured Gen.G's third consecutive Worlds semifinal appearance. It will face China's Invictus Gaming at 7 a.m. Sunday KST for a place in the final.

T1, led by mid laner Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok, is Korea's other remaining contender. The team advanced from the Swiss Stage with a 3-1 record, maintaining its streak of reaching the quarterfinals in every Worlds appearance.

T1 will face France's Karmine Corp in the quarterfinals at 7 a.m. Saturday.

The team enters the knockout stage as defending champion, having won the tournament in 2025 to become the first organization to claim three consecutive Worlds titles. T1 has won six championships overall, with previous victories in 2013, 2015, 2016, 2023 and 2024.

Korea's other two representatives have been eliminated. Dplus Kia lost 3-0 to China's Bilibili Gaming in the quarterfinals Friday, while Hanwha Life Esports exited during the Swiss Stage with a 2-3 record.

Organized by Riot Games, Worlds is the annual international championship for League of Legends, a multiplayer online battle arena game. First held in 2011, the tournament brings together teams from major regional leagues to compete for the world title.

This year's final is scheduled for Nov. 15 at 4 a.m. at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

South Korea is scheduled to host Worlds again in 2027, four years after last staging the tournament.


yoonseo.3348@heraldcorp.com