HLE move to the Lower Bracket Finals where they will face the winner of the Lower Bracket Round 3 match between LYON and G2 Esports.
The 2026 League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational has reached one of the most exciting parts in the Bracket Stage, with 
Bilibili Gaming and 
Hanwha Life Esports battling for the first spot in the Grand Final.
After an intense showdown, BLG have dismantled HLE 3-1 in the Upper Bracket Final on Thursday (9 July), moving one series away from lifting the MSI 2026 title.
BLG entered the series after tearing through the Upper Bracket, first surviving a five-game battle against 
T1 before sweeping 
LYON 3-0 in the second round.
HLE, meanwhile, had been untouchable since the start of the Bracket Stage. The LCK first seed swept 
Team Secret Whales 3-0 in their opening series before delivering another clean sweep against 
G2 Esports to book their place in the Upper Bracket Final.
Here’s how the matches went.
BLG dominate HLE in Game 1
BLG came out swinging in the opening game, completely overwhelming HLE from the start and never giving the LCK first seed a chance to settle into the series. The LPL side ran rampant across the map, piling up a staggering 25-2 kill lead as HLE struggled to find any answers to BLG's aggression. By 24 minutes, BLG had built a massive 16,000 gold advantage before closing out a brutally dominant opening game.
BLG continued their momentum in Game 2
The second game proved to be a much closer encounter early on, although BLG once again managed to carve out the upper hand. HLE had drafted for high burst damage, while BLG brought a tankier composition backed by fighters with plenty of late-game potential. However, as the game moved into the midgame, BLG began piling up their advantages through small picks across the map.
Those advantages quickly added up. BLG took control of the major objectives, securing Baron and every dragon as HLE found themselves increasingly starved of space to fight back.
With the game slipping further out of HLE's reach, BLG began cracking open their base early and never loosened their grip. The LPL side demolished the Nexus at 29 minutes with a commanding 24-6 kill lead to move one game away from the Grand Final.
HLE find their footing in Game 3 against BLG
With their backs against the wall, HLE finally found their footing in the third game, building an early lead through small wins across the map and strong objective control. BLG tried to claw their way back into the game, but HLE remained firmly in control despite holding only a small kill lead. The breakthrough finally came when HLE won the fight for Baron, allowing them to push into BLG's base and break open the mid lane. BLG fought to keep their Nexus standing, but HLE wiped them out with a clean ace inside their own base before closing out the game in 31 minutes with a 13-6 kill lead.
BLG close out Game 4 in a lengthy encounter with HLE
The fourth game was an active back and forth between two teams, with both teams hungry to secure their spot at the Grand Finals of the MSI. While BLG was mostly in control of the fourth game, HLE found mutliple ways to bounce back and challenge their LPL opponents. However, BLG have proven strong and after a 37-minute encounter with a 23-11 kill lead, BLG take down HLE's Nexus to win the game and the series. BLG remain undefeated throughout the entire tournament.
With their win, BLG have become the first Grand Finalist of MSI 2026. Meanwhile, HLE have dropped to the Lower Bracket Final, where they will face the winner of the Lower Bracket Round 3 match between LYON and G2 Esports.
