This is a new development in a story we reported earlier: BLG sweeps Dplus KIA 3-0, ends unbeaten run, reaches Worlds 2026 semifinals.
Key facts
- Bilibili Gaming defeated T1 3-1 in the second semifinal of the League of Legends World Championship 2026 on Monday, November 9 (JST), eliminating the three-time defending champions and advancing to the final.
- T1's streak of reaching the Worlds finals since 2023 ended at three, and T1 finished the 2026 tournament in the top four after a semifinal elimination.
- Gen.G will face Bilibili Gaming in the Worlds 2026 final at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on Sunday, November 15, 2026, at 4:00 AM (JST) in a best-of-five series, guaranteeing a first-time world champion.
- The semifinal score by game was BLG 18-6 in 30:30, T1 22-10 in 32:19, BLG 19-10 in 37:03, and BLG 21-9 in 37:52, with BLG winning games one, three, and four.
Bilibili Gaming defeated the Faker-led Korean LCK team T1 3-1 in the League of Legends World Championship 2026 second semifinal on Nov. 9, 2026, knocking out the three-time defending champions and moving on to the final. The loss ended T1’s streak of reaching the Worlds finals since 2023.
T1, including its time as SK Telecom T1, had not lost a Worlds best-of-five series to a Chinese LPL team since the 2013 final against Royal Club. BLG became the first team from China’s LPL to beat T1 in a Worlds best-of-five series, ending T1’s undefeated record against Chinese LPL teams at Worlds. Hotspawn states that the loss ended T1’s streak of four consecutive Worlds Grand Final appearances.
The Credit Union of Texas Event Center in Allen, Texas, hosted Game 1 on Nov. 9, 2026. T1 drew first blood with a four-man bot dive on Viper’s Corki and used a lane swap so Peyz’s Xayah could scale after conceding laning priority. BLG took the opening game after allowing Oner to pick Nocturne, opting instead for an Orianna and Naafiri combo.
BLG steadily nurtured knight’s Orianna while taking both dragons and Void Grubs, and Xun completed a second Smite steal at the dragon pit. With the Baron buff, BLG pressed mid and bot at the same time, destroyed the inhibitors, and saw T1’s counter-engage end in a 2-for-4 trade. Bin’s K’Sante formed an insurmountable front line as the well-farmed Orianna ran rampant.
In Game 2, T1 leveled the series at 1-1 after Faker chose Syndra. Oner stole Baron with Lee Sin, triggering a counterattack from a disadvantage.
Xun played Pantheon in Game 3 and repeatedly stepped into the top lane with Bin’s Gnar to take down Doran’s Ambessa. Around the 27-minute mark, Xun’s Pantheon caught Faker’s Ahri, letting BLG secure Baron and Dragon Soul.
In Game 4, ON’s Seraphine and Xun’s Skarner secured early kills over Void Grubs, while Faker on Akali cut a 6,000 gold deficit to 1,000. T1 attempted a Vayne top lane pick with Doran, a choice Hotspawn said failed to deliver. Around the 28-minute Baron fight, Doran’s Vayne racked up kills and Faker’s Akali joined the assault as T1 eliminated all BLG players and secured Baron, narrowing the gap. BLG countered a mid-lane attack with Bin’s Renekton and knight’s Viktor securing crucial kills, and Xun’s Skarner caught a T1 player as BLG marched to the base to win the series.
BLG won games one, three, and four with scores of 18-6 in 30:30, 19-10 in 37:03, and 21-9 in 37:52, while T1 took game two 22-10 in 32:19. BLG fielded Bin at top, Xun in the jungle, knight mid, Viper bot, and ON support, while T1 started Doran top, Oner jungle, Faker mid, Peyz bot, and Keria support.
After losing its first two Swiss Stage matches to Movistar KOI and Top Esports, BLG reached the semifinals. Entering the fifth round with a 2-2 record and one loss away from elimination, BLG beat Hanwha Life Esports 2-0 on Nov. 1, then swept Dplus KIA 3-0 in the quarterfinals on Nov. 6. Dplus KIA advanced through the Swiss Stage with a 3-0 record and had entered that match undefeated in Swiss Stage play.
Gen.G lost just one game in the Swiss Stage before sweeping LYON and Invictus Gaming 3-0 in the quarterfinals and semifinals. Gen.G secured its spot in the final by defeating Invictus Gaming 3-0 in the first semifinal match on Nov. 8. The near-perfect run leads into the Grand Final next Sunday in New York against BLG.
Gen.G will face Bilibili Gaming in the Worlds 2026 final at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on Sunday, November 15, 2026, at 4:00 AM JST in a best-of-five series, guaranteeing a first-time world champion. BLG is returning to the Worlds final for the first time in two years, back to 2024, when T1 beat BLG 3-2 after a full set to take the world title. BLG is playing in its second Worlds final after 2024.
Park “Viper” Do-hyeon is making a second Worlds final appearance after lifting the Summoner’s Cup in 2021 with EDward Gaming. To become world champion, BLG must beat every LCK representative after eliminating Hanwha Life Esports, Dplus KIA, and T1, all South Korean teams. LoL Esports (@lolesports) posted “NEVER COUNT T1 OUT”.
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