Meanwhile, MKOI will need to win another match to qualify for the next stage.
The battle intensifies at the Swiss Stage of the League of Legends World Championship 2026, with spots in the Knockout Stage now on the line for some teams in Round 3.
Two of the teams eager to claim the first Knockout Stage spot were the LEC's second seed 
Movistar KOI (MKOI) and the LCK's fourth seed and reigning Esports World Cup champions, 
Dplus KIA (DK), with both teams going head-to-head in a best-of-three series.
In the end, it was Dplus KIA who swept MKOI 2-0 to claim the first Knockout Stage spot.
Both MKOI and DK enjoyed surprisingly strong starts to their Swiss Stage campaigns. The LEC's second seed entered the competition as dark horses, but upset LPL giants 
Bilibili Gaming in their opening match before outplaying LCP second seed 
CTBC Flying Oyster in the second round.
Meanwhile, Dplus KIA pulled off an incredible last-minute comeback against 
G2 Esports in the first round before stunning LCK third seed 
T1 with another last-minute victory in the second round.
Here's how the games went:
Dplus KIA outplay MKOI in the first game
In the first game, DK gained an early advantage, picking up a few kills during the laning phase and taking control of some of the map objectives. MKOI responded with a few ganks of their own, contesting Dragons in the process to keep themselves in the game. Despite this, DK were still able to maintain the upper hand, winning team fights and extending their lead with their first Baron power play.
However, MKOI punished DK after they overextended in the mid lane, trapping multiple members of the LCK fourth seed as they fled into the jungle and diminishing DK's gold lead. MKOI then attempted to secure Dragon Soul, but DK caught on to their plans, reclaiming their gold lead with multiple kills and denying the European team the Dragon Soul.
MKOI continued to defend and tried to engage their South Korean opponents in team fights in a bid to regain more control over Summoner's Rift. However, one team fight in the mid lane made all the difference, with 
Sin “Smash" Guem-je finding the right targets and sweeping the LEC representatives with a pentakill.
After a 39-minute encounter, with a 16-8 kill lead, DK destroyed MKOI's Nexus to win the first game.
Dplus KIA dominate MKOI in game two
DK came out even more aggressive in the second game, building a significant gold lead early in the laning phase. MKOI made a mistake during a skirmish in the top lane, allowing DK to not only defend but also pick up multiple kills.
DK continued to apply pressure across the map, while MKOI struggled to find opportunities to push forward or even defend their turrets. Heo “ShowMaker” Su and Smash came up big, securing multiple kills across the map and helping DK extend their gold lead to 10,000. MKOI struggled to make any meaningful moves, with DK overwhelming the European team at every turn.
As MKOI attempted to engage in the mid lane, Jeon “Siwoo” Si-woo took the opportunity to push through the bottom lane and break open their base. After just 25 minutes, with a commanding 17-5 kill lead, DK destroyed MKOI's Nexus to win the second game and secure the series victory.
With their win, DPlus KIA have secured their spot in the Knockout Stage, where they will await the rest of their opponents.
Meanwhile, MKOI now hold a 2-1 record and will still need to win one more series to qualify for the next stage.
