The final stretch: three teams punch their MSI 2026 ticket this weekend

Three more teams will book their place at MSI 2026 this weekend. The LCK, LCS and LPL all finish handing out their second spots across June 13 and 14. Hanwha Life Esports, LYON and Top Esports are already through. The remaining qualifiers — as well as the LCS and LPL seeding order — will be decided over the next two days.

MSI 2026 runs June 28 to July 12 at the Daejeon Convention Center II. Each major region but Brazil sends two teams. The grand finals this weekend set which side takes the first seed and which takes the second.

LCK — Road to MSI, Wonju

Hanwha Life Esports claimed the LCK's first MSI ticket on June 12, beating T1 3-1. The Road to MSI offers two MSI spots.

T1 are one defeat from missing MSI for the first time since 2021 — they have qualified every year since. They wait in the June 14 decider for whoever climbs up to meet them.

Gen.G face KT on June 13 to be that team. They are the back-to-back MSI champions, chasing a third straight title that no team has ever won — and they have not qualified yet. To reach Daejeon, they must beat KT, then T1. Lose once, and the two-time champions are out.

LCS — Spring Finals, Arizona State University

LYON booked one of the LCS's MSI ticket by winning the upper bracket final against Cloud9.

Cloud9 have not reached a Riot international since 2023. Four straight have passed them by — MSI and Worlds in both 2024 and 2025 — often after falling just short in the decisive stages of regional playoffs. This split looked different, a league-best 7-0 regular season, until LYON swept them in their first playoff test. The lower bracket is now their only road back to the international stage.

The lower bracket final on June 13 decides the second seed: Cloud9 against Team Liquid. The grand final follows on June 14, LYON against the lower bracket winner, to set seeding.

That grand final carries a second prize. The LCS champion takes the region's spot at the Esports World Cup in Paris (July 15-19). Sentinels have already booked an EWC place through the North American online qualifier.

LPL — Split 2 Finals, Wuhan

Top Esports booked their MSI place on June 7, sweeping Team WE 3-0 in the upper bracket final. WE fell to the lower bracket, where they meet Bilibili Gaming in the lower final — the winner reaches the grand final and takes the LPL's second place.

WE reached this stage as the bracket's biggest surprise. They beat Bilibili Gaming — the 2026 Split 1 champions — and then Anyone's Legend, before TES stopped them. BLG fought back through the lower bracket, so the lower final is a rematch, with the loser eliminated. The grand final on June 14 pits TES against the survivor and sets the LPL seeding.

The Split 2 champion also claims the LPL's Esports World Cup spot — Anyone's Legend, entered as AG.AL, and JD Gaming have already qualified for the EWC through the China online qualifier.