Meanwhile, BLG will have one last chance to qualify for the Knockout Stage in Round 5 of the Swiss Stage.
The stakes are getting higher at the League of Legends World Championship 2026, as an LPL civil war between 
Bilibili Gaming (BLG) and 
Top Esports (TES) unfolded in the fourth round of the Swiss Stage.
With both teams just one series victory away from qualification, the two Chinese powerhouses went head-to-head for a coveted spot in the Knockout Stage. In the end, it was TES who defeated BLG, 2–1, to secure their place in the next stage of the competition.
Both teams entered the fourth round with identical 2-1 records in the Swiss Stage, having recovered from opening-day defeats to claim two consecutive victories. However, their journeys to this point had been anything but straightforward.
BLG arrived at Worlds 2026 as one of the tournament's heavy favourites, only to suffer a shocking opening-round upset against 
Movistar KOI. The LPL's second seed managed to regain their footing, defeating 
Team Liquid Alienware in Round 2 before taking down 
Karmine Corp in Round 3 to put themselves back on track for qualification.
TES, meanwhile, had plenty of challenges of their own. With 
Cheng “ZUIAN” Zi-Hao unable to secure a US visa and veteran top laner Bai “369” Jia-Hao returning to the roster, the LPL's third seed entered the tournament with several setbacks to overcome. Their campaign began with a defeat against 
Hanwha Life Esports, however TES continued to defy expectations, taking down fellow LPL representatives and first seed
Anyone's Legend before defeating European powerhouse 
G2 Esports to reach the 2–1 bracket.
Here's how the all-LPL showdown unfolded.
Bilibili Gaming take control of Game 1 against Top Esports
Both teams came out swinging in the opening game, trading early kills within the first two minutes. The aggression continued throughout the laning phase, with BLG and TES constantly looking for opportunities across the map to gain an edge, keeping the gold difference between them razor-thin.
The deadlock finally broke when BLG began finding more picks around neutral objectives, allowing them to build a 2,000 gold advantage and establish priority in the top lane. TES tried to keep pace, but BLG were beginning to take control of the map.
The turning point came during a teamfight in the river near the Dragon pit, where BLG completely overwhelmed TES. As the LPL's third seed scattered, BLG capitalised on the chaos, picking off their opponents and extending their gold lead even further.
From there, BLG were relentless. The tournament favourites began to show exactly why they had been so highly regarded heading into Worlds, repeatedly catching TES out of position and denying them opportunities to fight their way back. What had started as a fiercely contested battle quickly turned into a one-sided display of dominance, with BLG firmly establishing themselves as the stronger side in the opening game.
After just 27 minutes, BLG destroyed TES's Nexus with a commanding 21–6 kill lead, taking the first game of the series.
Top Esports fight back to level the series against Bilibili Gaming
BLG once again took an early advantage in the second game, drawing first blood and gaining the upper hand during the laning phase. However, TES were quick to answer with a pick in the river, keeping the game close as both teams fought for control. TES found some success in the bottom lane, while BLG's mid-jungle duo began to flourish, with neither side willing to give much ground.
As the game progressed, Zhuo “knight” Ding's LeBlanc became an increasingly difficult problem for TES. BLG began pushing their opponents away from their own turrets and jungle, restricting their movement across the map and making it harder for them to contest objectives. Every time TES attempted to make a play, BLG were ready to shut them down, with knight repeatedly stepping up to keep his team in control.
However, BLG's aggression eventually came back to haunt them when they overstayed in enemy territory. TES punished their opponents' overextension with multiple kills, giving them the opportunity to secure Baron, narrow the gold gap, and regain some much-needed control over Summoner's Rift.
BLG were quick to respond, finding another pick against TES as 
Park “Viper” Do-hyeon and knight helped reclaim the momentum for their team. But TES had one more trick up their sleeve. By starting Baron, they baited BLG into a fight around the objective, where 369 pulled off a crucial flank that caught their opponents off guard. The rest of TES followed through, cleaning up the fight in the river and turning the game decisively in their favour.
With BLG's defences broken, TES pushed into their base and destroyed the Nexus after 37 minutes, finishing with a 13–10 kill lead to level the series at 1–1.
Top Esports dominate Game 3 to secure their Knockout Stage spot
Both teams continued to look for opportunities to outplay each other across the map in the decisive third game, but TES soon began to pull ahead. A crucial flank enabled by Gao “Tian” Tian-Liang's Pantheon ultimate allowed TES to take down BLG's bottom lane duo, while 369 continued to apply pressure in the top lane, taking down BLG's turret to further extend their advantage.
TES maintained their aggression as the game progressed, repeatedly making it difficult for Viper to survive in teamfights. Creme played a crucial role in setting up engagements for his team, while 369 followed up by cutting off BLG's escape routes, leaving their opponents with little room to manoeuvre.
With their gold lead continuing to grow, TES tightened their grip on the game, overwhelming BLG in another teamfight that allowed them to secure Baron. The LPL's third seed wasted little time capitalising on their advantage, using the Baron buff to push into BLG's base and break through their defences.
After just 27 minutes, TES destroyed BLG's Nexus with a commanding 17–3 kill lead, completing the reverse sweep to defeat BLG in the third game and the series. With their victory, Top Esports have secured their place in the Knockout Stage of Worlds 2026.
Meanwhile, Bilibili Gaming drop to a 2–2 record and will have one final opportunity to qualify in the fifth round of the Swiss Stage, where another defeat will mean elimination from the tournament.
