KPL Grand Finals 2026: Chongqing Wolves fight back to beat DYG 4-1 and reach knockouts

Chongqing Wolves are through to the knockout stage of the 2026 King Pro League (KPL) Grand Finals after a commanding comeback against Shenzhen DYG. The Honor of Kings side lost the opening game of their best-of-seven play-in match in Guangzhou on Tuesday, 20 October, then won four in a row to close out a 4-1 victory and keep their title hopes alive.

How the series unfolded

DYG made the stronger start, using early jungle invasions and control of key objectives to take Game 1. Wolves steadied from there, and once they levelled the series they did not look back.

Wanwan was named MVP of Game 4 on Nezha, a win that put Wolves 3-1 ahead. Game 5 belonged to Daozai, who collected two quadra kills, one around the eight-minute mark and another late in the game, finishing with 12 kills, 3 deaths and 14 assists. That performance earned him the Game 5 MVP and sealed the series. Qingqing held firm on the high ground in the decider, while Ziyou posted strong team-fight and damage-absorption numbers across the match.

The play-in is single elimination, so DYG's tournament is over.

Why Wolves were in the play-in

The KPL Grand Finals began with a Challenge Stage from 2 to 18 October, where twelve teams were split into a Masters group and an Elite group. Wolves went 4-2 in the Masters group, a respectable record, but only the top four from that group advanced directly to the knockouts. Kuaishou Gaming and JD Gaming (both 5-1), Talent Gaming and Weibo Gaming (both 4-2) took the direct spots, along with EDward Gaming, who topped the Elite group at 5-1.

Wolves and AG Super Play dropped into the six-team play-in, joined by four Elite group sides. Rogue Warriors, who lost all six of their matches, were eliminated.

The remaining play-in ties

Three of the six play-in teams advance, one from each single-elimination match:

• Tuesday 20 Oct: Chongqing Wolves 4-1 Shenzhen DYG (Wolves advance)
• Wednesday 21 Oct: AG Super Play vs TOP Esports Armor
• Thursday 22 Oct: LGD NBW vs Hero JiuJing

The play-in matches are played in Guangzhou, which shares Malaysia's UTC+8 time zone, so the Wolves-DYG series started at 6pm Malaysia time.

What comes next

The knockout stage moves to Changsha from Tuesday, 27 October to Sunday, 8 November. Eight teams will play a double-elimination bracket from the quarterfinals onwards, with every series a best-of-seven. The champion will be crowned at the grand final in Chengdu on Saturday, 14 November.

The Challenge Stage and play-in are streamed on the official KPL YouTube and Twitch channels in Chinese, and an English broadcast is expected for the later stages. Honor of Kings has a growing following in Malaysia and across Southeast Asia, and the KPL remains the game's top professional league.

Key takeaways

• Chongqing Wolves beat Shenzhen DYG 4-1 on 20 October after losing Game 1.
• Daozai's two quadra kills in Game 5 sealed the series.
• Wolves join Kuaishou, JDG, Talent, Weibo and EDG in the knockout stage.
• Two more play-in winners will be decided on 21 and 22 October.
• The knockouts run 27 October to 8 November in Changsha; the final is 14 November in Chengdu.

FAQ Q: What was the score between Chongqing Wolves and DYG? A: Wolves won 4-1 in a best-of-seven play-in match, winning four straight games after dropping the first.

Q: When is the 2026 KPL Grand Finals championship match? A: The grand final is scheduled for Saturday, 14 November 2026 in Chengdu.

Q: Where can fans watch the KPL Grand Finals? A: Matches stream on the official KPL YouTube and Twitch channels, with an English stream expected for the later stages.

Sources: esports.gg, Zhibo8, SMZDM