Invictus Gaming topple Top Esports 3-1 to reach first Worlds semi-final since 2019

Invictus Gaming beat Top Esports 3-1 in the opening quarter-final of the Worlds 2026 Knockout Stage, becoming the first side through to the semi-finals. The match was played on 3 November, US time, at the venue in Allen, Texas known as the Credit Union of Texas Event Center.

The tie was the only all-LPL quarter-final of the round and pitted the league's fourth seed against its third. Every Knockout match is a single-elimination best-of-five played under Fearless Draft, so Game 1's champion picks could not be repeated later in the series.

TES went into the match without recognised top-laner ZUIAN, who has been affected by visa problems. The club announced on 6 October that Bai "369" Jia-Hao, out of competitive League for the year, would start in his place, Esports Insider reported.

IG's mid- and bottom-lane carries settled Game 1 early, building a gold lead of more than 10,000 and closing the game out before the midpoint, according to Esports Insider.

Game 2 briefly looked set to hand IG a 2-0 lead until 369 intervened. Esports.gg reported that after a teamfight left him the lone TES survivor, his Renekton solo-killed TheShy's Vayne, Wei's Wukong and JiaQi's Yunara in succession to level the series at 1-1.

Esports.gg described the overall series as chaotic, citing throws, stomps, full teamfight wipes and an hour-long delay across the five games. For Game 3, IG switched TheShy back onto tank duty on Ornn as the side adjusted its approach.

IG regrouped to take the next two games and close out the series 3-1, sealing the semi-final berth.

The result also reversed the two sides' most recent meeting. The pair had already contested two best-of-five series during September, with IG taking a 3-2 victory on 5 September in the LPL Split 3 playoffs. TES then turned the tables with a 3-1 scoreline when the two met again on 17 September at the LPL Regional Finals.

China's Worlds campaign had opened poorly, with the LPL going 0-4 in the Swiss Stage. Esports Insider noted that IG's win guarantees China at least one semi-final spot regardless of how the rest of the bracket plays out.

The result returns IG to the Worlds semi-finals for the first time since 2019, when they finished tied for third and fourth. Esports.net News reported the side placed 17th at last year's event. Top laner TheShy and mid laner Rookie, who won the title together in 2018, are now chasing IG's first world championship since that run.

IG will face either Gen.G or LYON in the semi-final. Esports Insider noted that Gen.G, which finished the Swiss Stage with a perfect 3-0 record, had already defeated IG once in that round by a 1-0 scoreline.