Invictus Gaming reaches League of Legends Worlds 2026 quarterfinals

Shanghai Invictus Gaming (IG) has secured a spot in the knockout stage of the 2026 League of Legends World Championship after defeating North America's LYON 2-1. This victory marks the first time an LPL team has advanced to the quarterfinals in this tournament cycle and represents IG's first appearance in the knockout stage in seven years.

In the opening game, IG established dominance through objective control and superior scaling, closing the match in 27 minutes. LYON responded in the second game, utilizing a strong Ezreal-Karma duo and a decisive Dragon teamfight led by Dhokla's Olaf to even the series.

The deciding third game saw IG's bottom lane duo maintain composure during high-pressure skirmishes, allowing JiaQi's Caitlyn to scale effectively and secure the win.