pull off a massive 3-1 upset victory over
in the LCS 2026 Summer Playoffs. With this win, they become the first LCS team to secure a spot at Worlds 2026. They have also secured an appearance in the LCS Finals weekend taking place at Gas South Arena.
LYON, on the other hand, had a disappointing show compared to expectations. The team looked quite sloppy in the macro department and star player
had a particularly rough series.
C9 firing on all cylinders
Game 1 of the series was a good start for Cloud9 as they secured a massive draft advantage with their simple front to back team comp consisting of K’Sante, Xin Zhao, Syndra, Ezreal, and Karma. The range difference was too much for LYON’s short range comp with
s Locke being very lackluster.
Game 2 was the highlight of the series as it was incredibly back and forth. The best moment of the game came through an extended top fight that started from C9’s base before ending at the Elder Dragon pit two minutes later. LYON equalized the series but it was clear that C9 were here to play.
Game 3 saw the latest first blood in the 2026 LCS season as LYON’s support Jonah “Isles” Rosario was caught 26 minutes into the game. An overforced fight from LYON at the Baron pit sealed their fate as C9 moved to match point. Game 4 was the most dominant of the series as C9’s global ultimate comp with Nocturne and Shen alongside a Kennen dismantled LYON and didn’t let them pick up a single kill.
Blaber is the star of the show
C9’s veteran jungler and one of the greatest LCS players in history,
was named the MVP of the series. He completely outclassed Inspired’s methodical playstyle on the map by putting constant pressure in all three lanes and particularly targeted LYON’s top laner
With this win, Blaber and C9 return to the Worlds stage for the first time since 2023. Former Team Liquid ADC,
also returns to an international event for the first time since Worlds 2021.
C9 will face the winner of
vs while LYON will face the winner of
Team Liquid/FlyQuest vs for the final Worlds slot.
