Worlds 2026: Gen.G and Dplus KIA reach quarter-finals at 3-0 as Smash lands first pentakill

Two LCK teams have become the first to book their places in the Worlds 2026 quarter-finals. Gen.G recovered from losing the opening game to beat LYON 2-1, and Dplus KIA swept Movistar KOI 2-0 in Round 3 of the Swiss stage in Allen, Texas, on Sunday, 25 October local time. Both finished the Swiss stage with perfect 3-0 records. Earlier in the day, Invictus Gaming and Top Esports won best-of-one matches that left Hanwha Life Esports and G2 Esports one defeat from elimination.

For viewers in Malaysia, the four matches ran from 1am to the early hours of Monday, 26 October.

Smash pentakill sends Dplus KIA through

Dplus KIA, the LCK's fourth seed, were in control throughout their qualification series against the LEC's Movistar KOI. In Game 1 they pressured the top side through Lucid's Lee Sin and Siu's Ornn before winning the key fights. Support Career opened the final teamfight with a Flash and Nautilus ultimate, and Smash's Kai'Sa cleaned up the fight for a pentakill, reported as the first of the tournament. Dplus KIA destroyed the Nexus at 39:24. Game 2 was much quicker: an early bottom-lane skirmish set the tone and Dplus KIA won in around 25 minutes.

Dplus KIA's route to 3-0 has been demanding. They beat G2 Esports in Round 1 and then the three-time defending champions T1 in Round 2.

Gen.G survive a scare against LYON

The LCK's top seed did not have it easy. LYON, second seed from the LCS, won a 35-minute Game 1 after taking Dragon, Herald and Baron and winning the decisive fight. Gen.G answered with a 26-minute win in Game 2, securing Baron and the Cloud Dragon Soul, and then took Game 3 to close the series. Gen.G had earlier beaten Invictus Gaming and Hanwha Life Esports.

LPL sides win the early best-of-ones

The day began with two best-of-one matches between 1-1 teams, and LPL teams won both. Invictus Gaming beat Hanwha Life Esports after JiaQi's Yunara and Meiko's Lulu won a level-one two-versus-two against Gumayusi and Delight, and IG's bottom lane controlled the game from there. Rookie's engages helped seal the result.

Top Esports then beat G2 Esports in 35 minutes and 44 seconds, finishing with an 18-6 kill score and a gold lead of more than 10,000. JackeyLove led the way on Varus with seven kills, two deaths and eight assists, and dealt the most damage in the game.

The table after Round 3

• 3-0 (quarter-finals): Gen.G, Dplus KIA
• 2-1: Movistar KOI, LYON, Invictus Gaming, Top Esports
• 1-2: Hanwha Life Esports, G2 Esports
• Still to play Round 3: T1, CTBC Flying Oyster, Bilibili Gaming and Karmine Corp (all 1-1); Team Liquid Alienware, Anyone's Legend, LOS and Team Secret Whales (all 0-2)

The remaining Round 3 matches are on Monday in Texas, which is from 1am on Tuesday, 27 October, in Malaysia. The two 0-2 series are best-of-three elimination matches. Rounds 4 and 5 follow later in the week, and the quarter-finals and semi-finals are played in Allen from 3 to 8 November before the final at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on 14 November.

Key takeaways

• Gen.G (2-1 v LYON) and Dplus KIA (2-0 v MKOI) are the first quarter-finalists.
• Smash's Kai'Sa pentakill was reported as the first of Worlds 2026.
• IG and TES won best-of-ones to move to 2-1; HLE and G2 drop to 1-2.
• Six more quarter-final places will be decided in Rounds 4 and 5.

FAQ

Which teams have qualified for the Worlds 2026 quarter-finals? Gen.G and Dplus KIA, both from the LCK, qualified after finishing the Swiss stage 3-0 on 25 October.

How does the Worlds 2026 Swiss stage work? Sixteen teams play until they reach three wins or three losses. Three wins send a team to the eight-team knockout stage; three losses eliminate it. Qualification and elimination matches are best-of-three.

When is the Worlds 2026 final? The final is on 14 November 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Sources: Sports Kyunghyang, RiftDaily, Spilled.gg, DPM.LOL, Strafe, Fragster, Wikipedia