Demacia Cup 2026: Team WE edge FlyQuest 3-2 and HANJIN BRION beat LGD to set up Beijing semi-final rematch

Team WE and HANJIN BRION both won their quarter-finals at the Demacia Cup Global Invitational in Beijing on Tuesday 13 October and will meet in the semi-finals on Thursday 15 October. Team WE needed all five games to get past FlyQuest. BRION beat LGD Gaming 3-1. This follows on from the end of the event's Swiss Stage, when GAM Esports were eliminated without a win.

Team WE survive a five-game series

FlyQuest, North America's representative, won the first game in 34 minutes. Team WE then won Games 2 and 3 in 29 and 36 minutes to lead 2-1. FlyQuest forced a deciding game by winning the longest game of the series, which lasted 42 minutes. Team WE won Game 5 in 34 minutes.

Sheep Esports singled out WE jungler Monki and AD carry About as the series' standout players. FlyQuest's mid-jungle duo of Quad and Gryffinn also played well in defeat.

BRION recover after losing the opener

LGD Gaming took the first game against HANJIN BRION, but the LCK side won the next three. Those games lasted 33, 30 and 29 minutes. LGD top laner Burdol played well on Ornn in the opener, but LGD could not keep it up after that. BRION support Namgung was one of the standout performers.

The semi-final is a rematch from earlier in the tournament: Team WE beat BRION 2-1 in the Swiss Stage.

KT and BNK FearX complete the final four

The other two quarter-finals were played on Monday 12 October, and both went to five games. KT Rolster beat Team Vitality 3-2 and BNK FearX beat JD Gaming 3-2. In Game 3, FearX came back from a large early deficit against JDG and won with a backdoor push. They then won Game 5 in 25 minutes.

That means three of the final four are LCK teams, with the LPL's Team WE the only side not from Korea. KT Rolster and BNK FearX play their semi-final on Wednesday 14 October. The grand final is on Saturday 17 October.

What is at stake

The Demacia Cup Global Invitational brought together 12 leading teams from six regions that did not qualify for the World Championship. The event started on 3 October. Its prize pool is 1.5 million yuan, about US$223,800. The winner receives about US$89,520 and the runner-up about US$59,680. The four losing quarter-finalists (JD Gaming, Team Vitality, FlyQuest and LGD Gaming) each received about US$5,595.

The tournament overlaps with the start of Worlds 2026. The Play-In stage begins in Los Angeles on 15 October, the same day as the Team WE vs BRION semi-final. For players and fans of teams that missed out on the United States, this is the last significant international title of the season.

Key takeaways

• Team WE beat FlyQuest 3-2 and HANJIN BRION beat LGD Gaming 3-1 in the quarter-finals on Tuesday 13 October.
• Team WE face BRION on Thursday 15 October, a rematch of WE's 2-1 Swiss Stage win.
• KT Rolster and BNK FearX, who both won 3-2 on Monday, meet in the other semi-final on Wednesday 14 October.
• The grand final is on Saturday 17 October in Beijing, and the winner takes about US$89,520.

FAQ

What is the Demacia Cup Global Invitational? An invitational in Beijing for 12 leading teams from six regions that did not qualify for the 2026 World Championship.

When is the Demacia Cup 2026 final? On Saturday 17 October, after semi-finals on Wednesday 14 and Thursday 15 October.

How much prize money is on offer? 1.5 million yuan in total, about US$223,800, with about US$89,520 going to the champions.

Sources: Sheep Esports, Field Level Media, Inven Global, Strafe