have officially punched their ticket to Texas. In a high-stakes match to decide the LPL's third representative at Worlds 2026, TES defeated
Invictus Gaming 3-1, bouncing back from their previous postseason setback. With this victory in the Upper Bracket Final of the Regional Finals, Top Esports locked in direct qualification to the Swiss Stage, sending iG down to the lower bracket of the tournament.
The win also serves as direct revenge for
Top Esports. During the Split 3 Playoffs, Invictus Gaming eliminated TES with a 3-2 victory in Lower Bracket Round 1. Heading into the Regional Finals, the two teams were separated by just 15 Championship Points, with TES holding third place at 105 points and iG sitting fourth at 90 points.
Top Esports took control of the series in games three and four through decisive individual performances. In game three, midlaner
Lin "Creme" Jian set the pace on Locke, finishing with a 13/2/8 scoreline across key teamfights. Game four was dictated by jungler
Gao "Tian" Tian-Peng on Pantheon. Applying heavy pressure to the midlane, Tian consistently used Grand Starfall with precise timing — not only to contest neutral objectives and initiate fights, but also to peel and counter-engage, denying Invictus Gaming favorable trades and closing out the series with an 8/1/11 KDA.
This qualification marks Top Esports' return to the international stage following their top-four run at Worlds 2025, which ended in a 0-3 semifinal loss to T1. By securing the LPL's third seed, TES bypass the lower bracket and head directly to Allen, Texas, joining
Anyone's Legend qualify for Worlds and Bilibili Gaming as China's confirmed representatives.
While the World Championship officially kicks off on October 15, 2026, the Swiss Stage begins on October 23. Under tournament draw rules prohibiting same-region matchups in Round 1, TES will face international opposition, meaning that all Chinese participants will take the stage that day to be seeded against teams from other regions.
Invictus Gaming will have one final opportunity to qualify for Worlds 2026. They drop to the lower bracket final on Saturday, September 19, where they will face the winner of tomorrow's match between Team
WE and JD Gaming for the fourth and final Chinese seed.
