T1 Esports Academy wins the World Star Challengers Invitational

Naerlyn Published October 2, 2026

After two weeks of competition, T1 Esports Academy went 3-2 against Solary in the grand final to win the inaugural World Star Challengers Invitational. The tier 2 World Championship saw 16 teams face off from the challenger leagues of each major region for the first time ever. Ultimately, it all ends with T1 winning Worlds again.

T1 Esports Academy beats Solary 3-2

The LCK Challenger League champion was the favorite and they showed why. T1 showed up with better prepared plays than Solary, who still held their own well.

Solary obliterated their opponent in the second and third games with an unstoppable onslaught. The second map had the LFL team dive behind several turrets to make sure nobody got out alive. Then, every single play went their way in the third game. A 15-minute ace, a T1 dive going 0-4, a Solary dive getting four kills with everyone barely escaping, T1.EA only got a single kill in the entire game aside from the steps of the fountain.

For everything else, the LCK CL champion was in the driver’s seat. SLY had a regular habit of sending player after player to a lost fight, further digging their hole. T1.EA prepared picks better and Solary poorly calculated how to answer.

After going up 2-1, Solary misplayed a dragon fight and fell behind for the entire game. Then on the final map, they went for Draven in the bot lane. The idea was good, and they even saved their early game misplays.

However, SLY then played exclusively away from their fed marksman. The LFL representative lost solely because they lost track of their own game plan – and tripled down on their mistakes. Europe can hold their head high, but some areas are clearly lacking still. Instead, it’s the Academy team of T1 also coming back from a 1-2 deficit, and claiming another Worlds title for the org.

Solary falls 2-3 in the World Star Challenger Invitational Grand Final. Image Credit: Solary

Korea and Europe dominate the tier 2 scene

This was the first time tier 2 teams had an international tournament, and two regions clearly stood out. South Korea and Europe placed above every single team from the other regions in the group stage. Then, all seven of their teams went to the playoffs, joined only by NA because there was one spot left.

China, Asia-Pacific, and the other American regions all went out in groups. EU and KR were the only regions able to eliminate one another.

For South Korea, performing well and winning an international isn’t exactly surprising. However, Europe’s performances beg the question of how poorly the LEC teams do their scouting. If LFL talent can perform so well, why do tier 1 teams seldom try to recruit them, only looking to import from abroad?

Featured Image Credit: Riot Games

Related to: Grand final: SLY vs T1.A

T1 Academy World Star Challengers Invitational 2026 Playoffs