The day of upsets: LoL EWC 2026 Quarterfinals recap
Day 3 of the LoL Esports World Cup 2026 is over. With that, the quarterfinals are done, and the semis are next for day 4. It’s safe to say that this day did not go as expected.
LoL EWC 2026 quarterfinals recap
| Match | Winner | Context |
|---|---|---|
| HLE vs T1 | T1 (2-0) | After HLE beat T1 2-1 then 3-1 in the LCK, they were supposed to be the only team T1 stood little to no chance against. Somehow though, things took a different turn as the reigning World champions won 2-0 at EWC. |
| Gen.G vs JDG | Gen.G (2-0) | Gen.G decided to step up to restore some normalcy in a day of craziness. JDG still fought valiantly, especially considering that this was a fifth place LPL finisher going up against the team that might still be the best in the world. |
| AG.AL vs KC | KC (2-0) | Off the back of a shaky performance against Team Secret, KC now had to face one of the strongest LPL teams. Against all odds, they not only beat AG.AL, they also made it look convincing. |
| BLG vs DK | DK (2-1) | Days ago, BLG was still qualifying for a golden road. Now, they lost to a relatively weak Korean team – that is even going through organisational struggles. |
Hanwha Life Esports vs T1
The first map wasn’t close in the slightest. T1 took an immediate lead off the back of a 12-0 performance by Kim “Peyz” Su-hwan. HLE never managed to even win a fight in return.
The second game was closer, but it was still T1 leading the dance. Hanwha Life made return plays, but ultimately, one fight followed by a Baron gave their opponents an advantage that they never lost afterwards.
Gen.G vs JD Gaming
In the first game, they held their ground for the first 20 minutes – in appearance. However, GEN had a scaling deathball comp. Failing to shut them down by then is akin to a death sentence. JDG’s carries became powerless to withstand what Gen.G could do.
After that, they drafted a team that could hold up at any point in the game, and it went well for them again. Then, a 4 for 3 fight equalized the gold as Gen.G collected all champion bounties. Right after, a beautiful Neeko engage put GEN in the lead for the first time. JDG still had fire in them, but it was ultimately the LCK representative who closed out the game and series.
Karmine Corp pulled off the upset against Anyone’s Legend in the LoL EWC quarterfinals. Image credit: Colin Young-Wolff / Riot Games
Anyone’s Legend vs Karmine Corp
The first game was dictated by KC progressively finding small advantages. At one point, they threw them all away by attempting to kill Cui “Shanks” Xiao-jun and missing every ability. AG.AL then turned to the Baron, and did a re-engage that cost them the game on the spot.
On the second map, KC’s Rumble and Zeri collected strong leads while Kang “kyeahoo” Ye-hoo was fully preventing AG.AL from playing. Karmine almost threw it once again, but the scaling came through and they took the series.
Bilibili Gaming vs Dplus KIA
Day 3 finished with an equally unpredictable upset. The series started with a brawl that never crossed a 4k gold lead for either team. DK closed it out as BLG’s jungler stole a Baron. Immediately after, Jeon “Siwoo” Si-woo opened the second game with three back to back solo kills against Chen “Bin” Ze-Bin in six minutes. With a shaky mid game though, BLG’s pick comp turned the game around.
Bilibili Gaming is out after the LoL EWC quarterfinals. Image credit: Colin Young-Wolff / Riot Games
Riding that high, they started the third game extremely well. Unafraid of the 6.5k gold lead, DK proved their resilience once again and turned the last map around.
T1 will now face KC in the semifinal, while Gen.G will meet DK. KC can prevent an all-Korean final, and DK can continue their Cinderella story, but both have their work cut out for them.
Featured image credit: Colin Young-Wolff / Riot Games
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