LPL Split 3 Awards 2026: knight crowned back-to-back MVP

The LPL has announced its Split 3 awards, and the headline name has not changed. Zhuo "Knight" Ding claims the regular season MVP for the second split in a row — the fifth of his career, after Summer 2019, Summer 2020, Spring 2024 and Split 2 earlier this year. Bilibili Gaming still tower over the voting with three All-Pro First Team spots and the Best Coaching Staff award, while WE Moon "About" Hyeong-seok takes Rookie of the Split.

The All-Pro teams in full:

• First Team — Zuian (top, TES), Tarzan (jungle, AL), knight (mid, BLG), Viper (bot, BLG), ON (support, BLG)
• Second Team — Xiaoxu (top, JDG), Xun (jungle, BLG), Shanks (mid, AL), JackeyLove (bot, TES), Kael (support, AL)
• Third Team — TheShy (top, IG), Heng (jungle, LGD), Tangyuan (mid, LGD), GALA (bot, JDG), Vampire (support, JDG)

A perfect ballot for knight

The voting details tell the story of the split. With 50 ballots cast and three points per first-place vote, the maximum possible score was 150 — and knight hit it. All 50 voters put him first at his position, a level of unanimity his teammate ON came closest to matching (48 of 50, 148 points).

The MVP race followed the same pattern. knight collected 42 of the 50 first-place votes for 141 points, comfortably ahead of Anyone's Legend jungler Tarzan (96) and his own teammate Xun (31).

Unlike in Split 2, however, Bilibili Gaming could not lock out the entire First Team. ZUIAN dethrones Bin — which has not played for most of the split— in the toplane with 29 first-place votes, and Tarzan takes the jungle spot emphatically, outscoring Xun 142 to 110. Three of five, plus the Best Coaching Staff nod, will have to do.

About edges Wenbo in the tightest race

Rookie of the Split produced the closest vote. WE About wins with 120 points despite receiving fewer first-place votes (23) than Bilibili Gaming Wenbo (24): his 24 second-place votes made the difference, sealing a 120-113 finish. ThunderTalk Gaming's Keshi completes the podium at 67.

The bigger picture

The MSI final defeat to Hanwha Life Esports buried the Golden Road dream, but a perfect domestic year remains within reach. Bilibili Gaming have already lifted the First Stand, Split 1 and Split 2 trophies in 2026, and enter the Split 3 playoffs as overwhelming favorites — with their Worlds ticket already secured through championship points.