Invictus Gaming beat Top Esports to reach Worlds last four

Invictus Gaming beat fellow LPL side Top Esports 3-1 in the opening Worlds 2026 quarter-final on 3 November (US time), reaching the semi-finals for the first time since 2019. Played at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center in Allen, Texas, the result ensured China has a team in the last four after the LPL’s 0-4 start to the Swiss Stage.

IG will face either Gen.G or LYON in the semi-finals. Gen.G beat IG 1-0 during the Swiss Stage and finished that stage with a perfect 3-0 record.

TES respond through stand-in 369

IG took Game 1 after building a gold lead of more than 10,000, but TES levelled the series in Game 2. Playing Renekton, stand-in Bai ‘369’ Jia-Hao killed JiaQi and TheShy on his own late in the game to help TES respond.

IG then won the next two games to close out the best-of-five. TES had entered the event without ZUIAN: the club announced on 6 October that 369 would join its starting line-up because of visa problems affecting ZUIAN.

The teams had split two best-of-five meetings in September. IG won 3-2 in the LPL Split 3 playoffs on 5 September, before TES won 3-1 in the LPL Regional Finals on 17 September. Every Worlds 2026 Knockout Stage match is a single-elimination best-of-five played with Fearless Draft.

TheShy and Rookie’s return

IG began LPL Split 3 in the Nirvana Group before asking TheShy and Rookie to return from breaks. The pair helped IG qualify for Worlds; both had won the 2018 world title with the team.

After the quarter-final, TheShy said he had promised IG’s CEO that he would help if asked. “I came back to keep my word,” he said.

What comes next

Gen.G face LYON at 6am MYT on 5 November, with the winner meeting IG. Dplus KIA play Bilibili Gaming at 6am MYT on 6 November, while Europe’s last team, Karmine Corp, face T1 at 6am MYT on 7 November.

The semi-finals are scheduled for 7 and 8 November in Allen. IG are guaranteed at least US$400,000, the amount awarded to each losing semi-finalist from the tournament’s US$5,000,000 prize pool. The winner receives US$1,000,000; the final is set for Brooklyn at 3am MYT on 15 November.