LPL Split 3 Playoffs 2026 preview: Teams, schedule, odds, favorites, and more

Naerlyn Published August 27, 2026

The LPL Grand Finals is the playoffs of Split 3 for the Chinese tier 1 league. With the LPL Split 3 regular season being over, the top ten teams of the league now move on to the play-in and playoffs. Bilibili Gaming, Anyone’s Legend, and Top Esports have taken turns dominating their competition this Summer.

While all three of them can represent China at the 2026 League of Legends World Championship, only one of them can win the LPL Grand Finals, and BLG is poised to be that one.

LPL Grand Finals 2026 playoffs odds

LoL odds will be added as bookmakers release them.

10 playoffs teams remaining

The LPL Grand Finals 2026 teams (with regular season wins-losses) are:

Group Ascend: 

• 1. Bilibili Gaming (12-2)
• 2. Anyone’s Legend (9-5)
• 3. Top Esports (9-5)
• 4. JD Gaming (8-6)
• 5. Team WE (7-7)
• 6. LGD Gaming (6-8)
• 7. ThunderTalk Gaming (3-11)
• 8. EDward Gaming (2-12)

Group Nirvana: 

• 1. Ninjas in Pyjamas (6-0)
• 2. Invictus Gaming (4-2)

Grand Finals schedule and first matches

Play-in

• August 28: Play-in matches 1 and 2 (EDG vs NIP, TT vs IG)

Playoffs

• August 29: Round 1 upper bracket match 1 (TES vs LGD)
• August 30: Round 1 upper bracket match 2 (JDG vs WE)
• September 3: Round 2 upper bracket match 1
• September 4: Round 2 upper bracket match 2
• September 5: Round 1 lower bracket matches 1 and 2
• September 6: Round 2 lower bracket matches 1 and 2
• September 7: Upper final
• September 8: Round 3 lower bracket
• September 12: Lower final
• September 13: Grand final

Top Esports is always a threat in the LPL. Image credit: Colin Young-Wolff / Riot Games

Grand Finals format

• The bottom four teams start in the play-in, while the top six start directly in the playoffs.
• The LPL Grand Finals play-in is a single match for each team. The winner advances to the playoffs, the loser is eliminated.
• The LPL Grand Finals playoffs is a double-elimination bracket among the remaining eight teams.
• The top two teams start directly in round 2. The next four start in round 1. Lastly, the play-in representatives go through the lower bracket.
• All matches are Best of 5.

The team that wins the playoffs will represent the LPL at the 2026 League of Legends World Championship, starting October 15. Besides them, the teams will receive Championship Points based on their placement, allowing them to compete for the other three Worlds spots.

LPL Grand Finals: Who are the favorites?

The Bilibili Gaming show

Just like they’ve been all year long, Bilibili Gaming is the favorite to win the LPL Grand Finals. BLG has lost their claim to the Golden Road, but they’re still the front-runner in China. Besides going 12-2 in Split 3, they’ve gone 39-9 regionally all year long.

Zhuo “Knight” Ding keeps making a statement for being the best mid laner in the world in 2026. By his side, Chen “Bin” Ze-Bin is back on the roster, sharing the top lane spot with Li “Flandre” Xuan-Jun.

BLG is the scrappiest team, the one that will fight at every occasion and win by having better mechanics for these. On the other hand, they have a weakness when it comes to teamfights. However, while it has come to bring them down a few times, BLG usually wins regardless.

Can Invictus Gaming win the LPL Grand Finals 2026? Image credit: Liu YiCun / Riot Games

Can Top Esports and Anyone’s Legend win the LPL?

The one opponent that was able to challenge them the most during the Split 2 playoffs was Team WE. This time, they still have the potential to be a dark horse, but it’s unlikely that they achieve more than taking a series off of BLG.

Behind Bilibili Gaming comes Top Esports. After once again having a sorry performance at the Mid-Season Invitational, TES came back in full force in the LPL, like they always do. Always a menace in regional play, Top Esports has been a step below BLG all year long and should remain between the top two and top four.

Anyone’s Legend is in a similar place. Another one of the teams that are always at the top of the LPL, they’ve failed to show what it takes to challenge BLG in 2026. While a more macro-focused team, they currently struggle to close out winning games. However, this hasn’t prevented them from staying near the top which is something to be kept in mind from an esports betting perspective.

The dark horse of the LPL is Invictus Gaming. Formerly one of the biggest names in China, they were relegated to Group Nirvana in Split 3 and didn’t get to face the other big teams. Whether they’re going to be a surprise challenger or will falter right away, only time can tell.

Featured image credit: Colin Young-Wolff / Riot Games

Related to:

Top Esports

LGD Gaming

Bilibili Gaming

JD Gaming

Team WE

Anyone's Legend LPL Split 3 2026 Playoffs