Jul 19, 2026.
South Korean underdogs Dplus Kia have lifted the League of Legends at Esports World Cup 2026 trophy after battling through EWC 2025 winners Gen.G, securing their first major tournament win since 2020.
PARIS, France (July 19, 2026) -- Dplus Kia have been crowned the League of Legends at Esports World Cup 2026 winners, following a one-sided 3-0 Grand Finals match against Parisian home team Karmine Corp. The result grants the South Korean team their first LAN tournament win of the 2026 season, and their first major international trophy in nearly six years. For their win, Dplus Kia take home $600,000 in winnings, and 1,000 points for the Club Championship.
Their journey to the grand finals was full of challenges, having been sent to the Group Stage lower brackets early on by AG AL. Consecutive best-of-three sweeps saw Dplus Kia beat out Brazil's FURIA and European powerhouse G2 Esports to secure their spot in the playoffs. After upsetting MSI grand finalist and LPL top-seed Bilibili Gaming in the quarterfinals, Dplus Kia bested EWC 2025 winners Gen.G in the semifinals, opening the door to the Grand Finals.
All that stood in their way were fellow underdogs Karmine Corp, who had come from behind to beat LCK titans, EWC 2024 winners, and reigning World Champions, T1 in the semifinals. This set up an epic underdog Grand Finals, that would have been a fairytale ending for Karmine Corp on home soil, but it was not to be.
The first game set the pace for Dplus Kia, who remained a small step ahead of Karmine Corp early in the match. A series of fast attacks saw the team pull further ahead, before closing it out for a 1-0 start. Both teams seemed similarly matched in game two, but it was a late slip by Karmine Corp that gave the LCK team the upper hand as they forced their way into a 2-0 lead. Dplus Kia’s final, ultimate show of sheer dominance allowed them to end the tournament in three decisive games and cement their place in EWC history.
"It’s been five years since the international stage, and I’m so proud of myself, and I’m just so excited right now," said Heo "ShowMaker" Su following the grand final.
"In the early phase of the bot lane, I initially realized that our first kills came out there in Game 3, we’re on 2-0, it’s a great start and I’m on a champion that I’m confident on. That’s the moment I felt I won," said Oh "Career" Hyung-suk after being asked when he realised this dream was a reality.
Sin "Smash" Guem-jae was named SONY MVP for his performance during the tournament, a first for the 19-year old, earning an extra $25,000. He finished the tournament with a huge 8.1 KDA (kills/deaths/assists) statistic, and celebrated his birthday in historic style. "I’m so excited right now, I’m so happy," Smash said, after receiving the award. "It’s also my birthday in Korea, this is a phenomenal birthday."
Earlier in the day, two previous League of Legends at EWC winners, T1 and Gen.G, fought for third place. The teams were favorites to make it into the finals, but were bested in their respective semifinals matches. After a tense series between the two South Korean rivals, it was Gen.G who ultimately came out on top with a 2-1 finish, locking in third place and the $220,000 share of the prize pool.
To learn more about the Esports World Cup, visit esportsworldcup.com and follow the Esports Foundation on LinkedIn.
The Esports World Cup (EWC) is a premier annual sporting event and global celebration of competitive excellence and esports fandom. The competition features a unique cross-game format that pits the world's top esports Clubs against one another for the largest prize pool in esports history. Hosted in Paris, France, in the summer of 2026, the EWC will bring gaming and esports communities together again to crown the next Esports World Cup Club Champion. esportsworldcup.com
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