Dplus KIA and Gen.G secure Worlds quarterfinal places as Smash delivers tournament’s first pentakill

Dplus KIA and Gen.G secure Worlds quarterfinal places as Smash delivers tournament’s first pentakill

Dplus KIA and Gen.G became the first teams to qualify for the Worlds 2026 quarterfinals, completing the Swiss Stage with unbeaten 3–0 match records.

DK swept Movistar KOI, while Gen.G recovered from an opening-game defeat to overcome LYON. Elsewhere, Invictus Gaming and Top Esports strengthened their qualification prospects with wins over Hanwha Life Esports and G2 Esports.

Dplus KIA 2–0 Movistar KOI

DK followed their comeback victories over G2 and T1 with a straight-series win against Movistar KOI.

The opening game lasted 39:20 and ended with DK ahead 16–8 in kills. Smash supplied the tournament’s first pentakill on Kai’Sa, giving DK another major highlight in an increasingly impressive run.

The second game was considerably faster. DK closed in 25:10, recording 17 kills to five and denying Movistar KOI a deciding game.

ShowMaker finished the series with a combined 9/1/13 across Cassiopeia and Syndra. Smash added 13/2/5, while Lucid recorded 4/1/19, dying just once over the two games.

The result secured DK’s quarterfinal place and moved Movistar KOI to 2–1, where they retained another opportunity to qualify.

Gen.G 2–1 LYON

LYON threatened an upset by taking the first game in 35:45, finishing ahead 10–4 in kills.

Gen.G responded with a much quicker second-game victory. They won in 26:32 with a 16–9 kill score, then completed the turnaround in 31:57, taking the deciding game 15–7 in kills.

Across the series, Canyon recorded 4/3/26, participating in 30 of Gen.G’s 35 kills. Ruler contributed 13/6/16, while Kiin finished 10/4/16.

LYON’s opening win forced Gen.G to recover, but the Korean side ultimately joined DK in the knockout stage. LYON continued at 2–1.

Invictus Gaming and Top Esports win crucial best-of-ones

Invictus Gaming defeated HLE in 28:36, producing a commanding 29–9 kill score. Rookie finished 7/1/13 on Annie, supported by Wei’s 4/0/17 Nocturne performance.

Top Esports beat G2 in 35:44, ending 18–6 in kills. JackeyLove recorded 7/2/8 on Varus, while Creme went deathless with 3/0/10 on Orianna.

Both Chinese teams advanced to 2–1. HLE and G2 fell to 1–2, leaving each one series defeat from elimination.