With their win, HLE will face BLG at the MSI Grand Finals on Sunday (12 July).
Hanwha Life Esports (HLE) became the second grand finalists of the 2026 League of Legends (LoL) Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) 2026 after defeating 
LYON 3-2 at the Lower Bracket Finals. HLE will have a rematch with 
Bilibili Gaming for this year's MSI championship.
LYON entered the tournament as the LCS first seed, but few expected them to make it this far. They began their Bracket Stage campaign by defeating 
FURIA Esports before falling 3-0 to Bilibili Gaming in the Upper Bracket. Sent down to the Lower Bracket, LYON swept 
Team Secret Whales before eliminating 
G2 Esports to become the first LCS team since 2019 to secure a top-three finish at an international League of Legends tournament.
Hanwha Life Esports, meanwhile, opened their MSI run with a clean sweep over Team Secret Whales before defeating G2 Esports to reach the Upper Bracket Finals. However, the LCK first seed were sent into the Lower Bracket after falling 3-1 to Bilibili Gaming, leaving them with one final chance to keep their MSI title hopes alive.
Here's how the matches went.
HLE take the opening game despite LYON's Elder Dragon steal
HLE were strong in the first game, but LYON continued to answer back, preventing their opponents from snowballing too quickly. However, the damage from 
Lee “Gumayusi” Min-hyeong's Ziggs and Hanwha Life Esports's Syndra proved overwhelming, while Choi “Zeus” Woo-je executed perfectly on Sion to create space for the rest of HLE.
LYON managed to sneak the Elder Dragon, allowing them to stay in the game, but despite their efforts, HLE continued to dominate the team fights. After a 38-minute encounter with a 26-16 kill lead, HLE took down LYON's Nexus to claim the opening game.
LYON fight back to level the series
In the second game, LYON fought back, finding ways to outplay HLE while securing control of most of the dragons. HLE refused to back down and repeatedly found opportunities to extend the game, but LYON held their ground and gradually took over in the later stages.
After a 30-minute encounter with a 21-8 kill lead, LYON destroyed HLE's Nexus to level the series.
LYON edge closer to the grand finals with Game 3 victory
HLE started the third game strongly with an early lead, but LYON found ways to claw their way back and keep the gold even. Both teams continued pushing each other to the limit through constant skirmishes and team fights.
However, LYON eventually pulled ahead, winning crucial team fights and outplaying HLE in side skirmishes to break open the base. After a 30-minute encounter with a 20-17 kill lead, LYON destroyed HLE's Nexus to move onto match point.
HLE force Silver Scrapes after late-game turnaround
Backs against the wall, HLE refused to back down, battling LYON, who held the lead for most of the game despite HLE repeatedly finding picks in team fights. Both teams fought tooth and nail to edge each other out, but HLE eventually pulled ahead in the late game after securing the Mountain Soul.
With the extra durability from the buff, HLE took control of the team fights, claimed the Baron and marched straight into LYON's base. After a 29-minute encounter with a 20-10 kill lead, HLE destroyed LYON's Nexus to win the fourth game and force the series to Silver Scrapes.
Hanwha Life Esports obliterate LYON to reach MSI 2026 grand finals
It was do or die for both teams in the fifth game. However, HLE took the upper hand with their superior draft and team fighting, barely giving LYON any opportunity to mount a comeback. Although LYON fought hard to stay in the game, HLE proved too difficult to take down, with Hwan-joong “Delight” Yoo delivering a near-flawless performance on Blitzcrank while Zeus's tanky Aatrox created space for the rest of the team.
With complete control of the map, HLE continued to pick LYON apart before marching down the mid lane and into their opponents' base. In just 22 minutes with a commanding 20-4 kill lead, HLE destroyed LYON's Nexus to win the fifth game, the series, and book their place in the MSI 2026 grand finals.
With the victory, Hanwha Life Esports secured a place in the grand finals of MSI 2026, where they will face LPL's Bilibili Gaming on Sunday, 12 July. Meanwhile, LYON bow out of the competition in third place, taking home US$240,000 in consolation.
