have kept their World Championship hopes alive. In the opening round of the LPL Regional Finals lower bracket, JDG bested
3-1, ending WE's competitive season and punching their ticket to Saturday's decider. With this defeat, Team WE officially drop out of Worlds contention and are sent packing to the
2026 Demacia Cup Global Invitational, which is set to begin on October 3, 2026.
For
JD Gaming, the series served as a chance to respond to their recent postseason elimination at the hands of
Team WE. In the Split 3 Playoffs, WE had knocked JDG down with a 3-1 win in the Upper Bracket Quarterfinals. Entering the Regional Finals separated by only five Championship Points—WE in fifth place with 85 points and JDG in sixth with 80—JD Gaming flipped the previous scoreline in their favor when facing elimination on Friday.
JD Gaming took command of the series through masterclass teamfighting centered around Chen "
" Wei. The bot laner posted near-flawless numbers across the set, systematically punishing WE's engages. In game three, GALA set the pace on Xayah, finishing deathless at 6/0/8. He followed it up with a runaway game four on Jinx, where JDG played entirely around their hypercarry to seal the series as GALA dismantled the opposition with a dominant 15/0/5 scoreline.
By knocking out Team WE in fourth place at the Regional Finals, JD Gaming advance directly to the Lower Bracket Final. Everything will now be on the line in Saturday's decisive
Invictus Gaming vs JD Gaming showdown on September 19, where the winner will secure China’s fourth and final seed at Worlds 2026.
Team WE thus joins LGD Gaming as the second team to qualify to represent China in this new competition, a “small version” of the World Championship that will take place just before the latter. Representing South Korea will be KT Rolster, BNK FearX, and Hanjin Brion; Team Vitality will represent the LEC; and GAM Esports will represent the Pacific region.
