The narrative of the 2026 League of Legends World Championship just got a whole lot more nostalgic. In a chaotic, high-stakes quarterfinal clash at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center, Invictus Gaming (IG) dismantled Top Esports (TES) 3-1 to secure their first semifinal appearance in seven years.
For fans of the LPL, this series was a rollercoaster of emotions. The matchup featured two titans who had spent much of the year on the sidelines—TheShy and 369—only to return as desperate reinforcements for their respective organizations. While 369 put on a heroic performance in Game 2, single-handedly turning a teamfight with a spectacular 1v3 outplay on Renekton, it wasn't enough to stop the momentum of a resurgent IG.
The series itself was as unpredictable as the narratives surrounding it. Between technical pauses and back-and-forth skirmishes, IG displayed a superior read on the current patch. Jungler Wei was the undisputed engine of the series, dictating the tempo on picks ranging from Qiyana to Naafiri and Jayce. With JiaQi serving as a consistent damage threat and the veteran synergy between TheShy and Rookie providing the backbone, IG looked like a team reborn.
This result marks a monumental milestone for the organization. Having last reached the top four in 2019, IG’s return to the semifinals feels like the closing of a circle for a roster that many had written off earlier this season. For TES, the exit is a bitter conclusion to a campaign defined by roster instability and the last-minute scramble to field 369.
Now, the road only gets steeper. Invictus Gaming advances to face Gen.G in the semifinals. While IG has shown they can punish opponents with fast, aggressive tempo, they will need to find a new gear to crack the macro-discipline of the LCK giants.
Stay tuned for more coverage and check out our MyEsports predictions to see how the analysts are sizing up the upcoming semifinal showdowns.