The
League of Legends 2026 Esports World Cup (
EWC) Quarterfinals are in the past, yet this round was full of history-makers and history repeating itself. In somewhat surprising fashion, both
2026 MSI finalists,
and
, couldn’t overcome their respective quarterfinal opponents. To add insult to injury, the rest of the LPL teams,
and
, were also
eliminated from the tournament.
This leaves
, , , and
to brawl it out in the semifinals for a chance to reach the finals and take a shot at the
$600,000 winner’s prize pool. The surprising hometown team will have to use all their stamina to win this Korean sprint. T1 and Gen.G are former champions, and the latter is looking to become the first team to win back-to-back tournaments.
Both semifinal encounters have happened in the 2026 season. KC and T1 faced each other during the 2026 MSI Play-Ins, where the
South Korean team won decisively 3-0. On the other side of the bracket, both teams traded series during the
LCK 2026 Rounds 1-2 Split. This meant that DK cut a twenty-one-series losing streak against Gen.G in the
LCK after winning their April 11 match.
EWC: the LPL’s hurdle
The EWC has been an interesting addition to the LoL calendar, bringing a myriad of stories. However, fate has been nothing but cruel to the Chinese representatives competing at the Esports World Cup. Twice has an LPL team reached the final and lost it.
This is not a jab at the tournament’s logistics and care, but the LPL teams falter when playing this tournament. BLG is the best example of this trend. The current LPL champion has qualified for all three editions, but their quarterfinal record stands at 0-3.
This was JDG’s EWC debut, but they had a way tougher opponent than their league counterparts. The playoff draw was inconsiderate with them, as they could have been matched against AG.AL, a team they bested twice during the LPL Split 2 Regular Season. However, the Chinese team faced Gen.G, a team they had matched and lost during the 2026 First Stand.
This edition was AG.AL’s first international competition of the year, and they were looking to improve from their runner-up finish in 2025. Their performance quality had dipped compared to their 2025 level. However, they were clearly outperformed on the day by a team considered to be weaker than them.
Can EMEA fight the East Asian dominance?
KCorp’s surprising victory against AG.AL added the fifth tally to EMEA’s win column against LPL and LCK teams. The LEC teams have continued the positive track record they’ve accumulated during the 2026 season. The individual win-loss record stands at 15-19, and the series win record stands at 5-7.
To find a similar record the LEC had against the LPL and the LCK combined, we have to go back to the Lockdown Era of the 2020 season. The MSI was cancelled due to the pandemic, yet Fnatic and G2 stood up against strong East Asian teams at Worlds 2020. The European giants had a combined 9-14 record in individual games during the tournament, which was won by DAMWON.
