The Winners Final at the 2026
League of Legends Championship Series (
LCS) Summer Split between
and
was an instant classic. The long-time rivals arrived at this week’s final series hoping to reach the LCS Grand Finals at the
Gas South Arena in
Atlanta and secure a direct berth in the
2026 World Championship’s Swiss Stage.
Team Liquid came out swinging in Games 1 and 2 thanks to precise teamfight navigation and smart macro decisions. Cloud9 nullified TL’s toplane with a creative but daring draft, and punched back in Game 3. C9 seemed poised to push the series to Silver Scraped, but TL clutched a couple of teamfights and
closed the series 3-1.
This was a massive victory for TL on different fronts. First, by qualifying for the LCS Grand Finals, the team will look to lift their first LCS Split Trophy since Spring 2024. Liquid previously won the LTA Split 1 in 2025. Second, the finalists have guaranteed a direct berth to the Worlds Swiss Stage and
evaded the Play-In Stage.
Finally, Brandon Joel “
" Villegas, TL’s Argentinean jungler, broke a personal record after his team’s victory against C9. The 2026 Spring Split MVP Runner-up will become the first player born in Latin America to play the Main Stage of any World Championship edition.
Though Cloud9 unfortunately lost, their season is far from over. After
victory against
, the Mexican organization will rematch against C9, the team that pushed them to the Summer Split Playoffs Lower Bracket. The Losers Finals stakes are quite high, as the loser will have to play the Play-In Stage at Worlds.
The final LCS weekend of the 2026 season will be on the road as the three teams battle for the trophy and a better starting spot at Worlds on home soil. On October 3rd, Cloud9 will look to repeat their feat when they face LYON. Finally, on October 4th, the winner of the previous series will face Team Liquid for the LCS Trophy.
