3-1 in the MSI 2026 Upper Bracket Final. With the victory, BLG secure their place in the grand final and keep their Golden Road hopes alive after winning First Stand 2026 earlier this year. They also earn the right to double selection in the final, allowing them to choose both side selection and draft order against whichever team makes it through the lower bracket.
lift the trophy in back-to-back years, BLG are looking to bring the MSI title back to China. The organization has come painfully close before, finishing as runners-up in both 2023 and 2024.
on July 10. The winner will then meet Hanwha Life Esports in the Lower Bracket Final the following day, with a spot in the MSI 2026 Grand Final against BLG on the line.
“I didn’t expect a 3-1. I came in to play give games” — BLG
After edging out T1 in a five-game series in the opening round before sweeping both LYON and now Hanwha Life Esports, the LPL champions look poised to claim yet another international title in 2026.
Games one and two were one-sided affairs, with BLG dominating from start to finish.
were the standout performers, completely outclassing their Korean counterparts and making a strong case as the best players in their respective roles. While the toplane matchup was one of the most anticipated storylines of the series, neither toplaner had much opportunity to shine, as the jungle-mid duo proved to be the deciding factor throughout the early games. On the other side, Viper continued the bot lane mage trend by pulling out a surprising Taliyah pick in Game 2, which found success and gave HLE even more mobility around the map.
Game 3 told a completely different story, as Hanwha Life Esports dominated largely thanks to a superior draft. A well-timed Trundle counterpick into Skarner, combined with an unkillable Dr. Mundo, allowed HLE to comfortably take their first win of the series.
also had a quietly great game on Milio, enabling his teammates throughout the match.
That set the stage for a far more competitive Game 4, with both teams throwing everything they had at each other. HLE found an early lead, notably after a favorable Void Grubs fight around the nine-minute mark, but BLG gradually fought their way back into the game. Xun's Pantheon created immense space for his team, keeping them within striking distance until the decisive moment. At 23 minutes, Knight landed a massive three-man Orianna Shockwave, immediately followed by
's four-man Neeko ultimate, wiping out any hope HLE had of forcing a fifth game.
What Comes Next?
Hanwha Life Esports now have one day to regroup and analyze their mistakes as they drop to the lower bracket. They remain just one best-of-five victory away from returning to the grand final and earning a shot at revenge against BLG.
Meanwhile, G2 Esports, fresh off their victory over T1, will face North America's LYON, who swept both Team Secret Whales and FURIA to secure the LCS' first international top-four finish in four years. The winner will then meet HLE for the final spot in Sunday's championship match.
With today's victory, Bilibili Gaming have also guaranteed the LPL four seeds at the 2026 World Championship. One last fourth spot remains up for grabs for any of the surviving other three regions, however, depending on which makes the deepest run through the lower bracket.
For now, BLG can only wait as the remaining contenders battle it out for the right to challenge them in what promises to be an action-packed MSI 2026 Grand Final on Sunday, July 12.
