LPL Split 2 Playoffs: China’s MSI race tightens

The LPL playoffs hit their decisive weekend with several heavyweight series. China holds two MSI berths this split, both leading straight to the main event after Bilibili Gaming won First Stand 2026. The upper bracket final sent Top Esports against a Team WE side that had reached it on a surprise run, with the winner taking one ticket and a place in the grand final. In the lower bracket, Bilibili Gaming first met JD Gaming and ended their playoff run with a 3-1 win, before facing Anyone’s Legend in another elimination match, with the winner staying alive in the race for the second ticket to MSI.

BLG back on the war path

Bilibili Gaming knocked JD Gaming out of the lower bracket with a 3-1 win, ending JDG’s playoff run and their MSI hopes much earlier than expected for a roster that made it to final and First Stand in the first split. BLG came in as favorites and played like it: aggressive drafts, winning lanes, and strong early snowballs outside of game 2, where GALA’s Sivir gave JDG their only real bright spot.

HongQ’s struggles against arguably the best performing player in the world right now, summed up the gap, and against what is considered the league’s strongest teams, JDG simply ran out of answers.

The miracle ends

Top Esports swept Team WE 3-0 to reach the final, ending a miracle run that had already knocked out Bilibili Gaming and Anyone's Legend. Creme was the standout, the best mid in the LPL outside of Knight, and the series was built around him. Team WE's run had been carried by momentum and clean early games, and once that was taken away the side had nothing to fall back on — Monki cannot operate from behind, and he was targeted all series.

The sweep marks Top Esports as a genuine title contender and a candidate for the MSI seed-1 spot. Team WE's run still stands as a strong result, but the same structural problems that limited them all season were on show.

Order restored

Bilibili Gaming swept Anyone's Legend 3-0 and looked like the seed-1 team again after their surprise loss to Team WE. Knight was the difference, closing it out 16/1/3 on Mel with a level no one in the LPL is matching right now. Bin was also excellent alongside him and got the Player of the series, dominant up top across the BO.

Anyone's Legend never threatened: the solo lanes were lost from the start, and the team's heavy reliance on Tarzan left no plan B once the game slipped. A top-four finish is still fair given the season, though this version of Anyone's Legend is less frightening than last year's. Back at this level, Bilibili Gaming are firmly among the title favorites again — and for them, the LPL crown carries an EWC slot with it.

LPL Finals in Wuhan this week-end

Team WE meet Bilibili Gaming in the lower bracket final, with an MSI berth and a place in the grand final on the line. Bilibili Gaming bring the form, though Team WE have already beaten them once this split. The winner faces Top Esports for the title.