The Swiss Stage of the
2026 Demacia Cup Global Invitational has come to an end, and the eight teams that survived are now set for the Knockout Stage. Starting on October 12th, the remaining squads will fight it out in Beijing until October 17th to decide the best team among those that missed out on Worlds 2026.
The Knockout Stage will overlap with Worlds, which will see its Play-In Stage begin on October 15th. While the best teams in the world prepare for the biggest stage of the year, the DCGI will crown a champion of its own.
DCGI Knockout Stage bracket
DCGI 2026 Knockout Stage. Credit: Sheep Esports
The Knockout Stage is a single-elimination bracket, with the winner of each series advancing and the loser heading home. The quarterfinal matchups are:
- BNK FEARX vs JD Gaming
- KT Rolster vs Vitality
- Team WE vs FlyQuest
- Brion vs LGD Gaming
The winners of the first two quarterfinals will meet in one semifinal, while the winners of the other two will face off in the second. The two semifinal winners will then advance to the Grand Final to decide the Champion, with no lower bracket.
How did the teams get here?
The eight teams in the bracket emerged from a 12-team Swiss Stage played online from October 3rd to 8th. Teams needed two wins to qualify for the Knockout Stage, while three losses meant elimination. The opening round was played in best-of-ones, with best-of-threes from Round 2 onwards, and the 0-2 teams had to go through a round-robin stage for one final chance to advance. Those that survived now move on to the offline portion of the event in China.
The four teams that fell short in the Swiss Stage were RED Canids, GAM Esports, NAVI and Shopify Rebellion, who were eliminated after reaching three losses.
Though the glory may not be as big as at Worlds, the DCGI offers a form of redemption for teams that narrowly missed out on the main event, along with a decent monetary prize. The winning team will take home around €76,000, equivalent to about $90,000.
