LoL Worlds 2026 Quarterfinals Predictions: T1 vs Karmine Corp, TES vs IG Picks
Worlds 2026 quarterfinal previews and picks for TES vs IG, Gen.G vs LYON, DK vs BLG and T1 vs Karmine Corp in Allen, Texas.
The League of Legends World Championship is down to eight teams, and the 2026 knockout stage gets going Tuesday, November 3, at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center in Allen, Texas. Every series from here is a best-of-five, single elimination, played under Fearless Draft. One quarterfinal goes each day through Friday, all at 5 p.m. ET, and the semifinals follow on November 7 and 8 before the final on November 14 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
The bracket has three LCK teams, three LPL teams, Karmine Corp for Europe and LYON for North America. Here is how we see all four quarterfinals, with the most attention on the two series that have the most betting interest: the all-LPL opener between Top Esports and Invictus Gaming, and Friday's headliner between T1 and Karmine Corp.
How the bracket shakes out
The top half pairs TES vs IG (Nov. 3) with Gen.G vs LYON (Nov. 4), and those winners meet in the first semifinal on Saturday. The bottom half pairs Dplus KIA vs Bilibili Gaming (Nov. 5) with T1 vs Karmine Corp (Nov. 6), with that semifinal on Sunday. Because the three Korean teams are in different quarterfinals, Gen.G cannot meet DK or T1 before the final, while a DK vs T1 semifinal is on the table.
One thing to keep in mind about Fearless Draft in a best-of-five: no champion can be picked twice in a series. That drains comfort picks quickly. If a series goes to four or five games, deep champion pools matter more than one star's signature pick, which helps veteran rosters and can make long series less predictable.
Top Esports vs Invictus Gaming (Tue., Nov. 3)
This is the only same-region quarterfinal, and these two know each other very well. They split six series in 2026, with TES holding a 10-8 edge in games. The last two meetings were both best-of-fives: IG won a 3-2 playoff series in early September, and TES answered with a 3-1 win at the LPL regional qualifier about two weeks later.
Both teams went 3-1 in the Swiss stage. TES lost its opener to Hanwha Life, then beat Anyone's Legend, G2 and Bilibili Gaming, the last of those in a 2-1 series. IG dropped its first match to Gen.G and then won three straight, including a 2-1 series over LYON.
The key names are familiar. TES runs through mid laner Creme and veteran AD carry JackeyLove, both of whom made the LPL All-Pro teams this year. IG still leans on TheShy in the top lane, another All-Pro, with Rookie in the middle. Across the full 2026 season, TES has the better numbers: a winning game record compared with IG sitting just under .500.
The lean is TES, but expect a grind. Their two 2026 best-of-fives went five and four games, and familiarity tends to drag series out because neither side gets surprised in draft.
Gen.G vs LYON (Wed., Nov. 4)
This is a rematch from the Swiss stage, where Gen.G won 2-1 in Round 3. Gen.G is one of two teams that went 3-0, beating IG, Hanwha Life and LYON. LYON had a bumpier road at 3-2, losing best-of-threes to Gen.G and IG before coming back from a big gold deficit in Game 2 against LOS to clinch its spot.
LYON already took a game off Gen.G, so it can win games against them. Winning three in a best-of-five is a much bigger ask. The one wrinkle is rust: Gen.G finished its Swiss run on October 25 and will have gone about ten days without a match.
Dplus KIA vs Bilibili Gaming (Thu., Nov. 5)
This is the only LCK vs LPL quarterfinal, and it might be the closest one. DK went 3-0 with wins over G2, T1 and Movistar KOI. BLG came in with the strongest domestic résumé of anyone in the LPL this year, winning the first two LPL splits before losing the Split 3 final to Anyone's Legend. At Worlds, BLG went 3-2 and saved its best for last, sweeping MSI champion Hanwha Life 2-0 in the elimination match.
BLG's lineup of Bin, Xun, Knight, Viper and ON all made All-Pro teams this year, and in a series this tight that star power matters. DK beat T1 in Swiss and has the cleaner tournament run, but it also has the longest layoff of anyone in the bracket.
T1 vs Karmine Corp (Fri., Nov. 6)
This is the matchup everyone circled. T1 come in as three-time defending world champions with the lineup of Doran, Oner, Faker, Peyz and Keria. Their only Swiss loss was to Dplus KIA, and they closed with wins over LOS, CTBC Flying Oyster and Movistar KOI.
Karmine Corp is making its first ever Worlds knockout appearance and is the last European team standing. The roster is Canna, Yike, kyeahoo, Caliste and Busio. KC fell to 1-2 after losses to LYON and BLG, then won two straight elimination series 2-0, against CFO and Movistar KOI. Its win over MKOI was its most convincing showing yet. Yike's jungle play drove the second game, where KC built a 10k gold lead before the 20-minute mark, and the Caliste-Busio bot lane was excellent across the series.
There is a nice side story too: Canna played for T1 in 2020 and 2021, so he knows this organization well. Caliste told French media his team can clearly win this one.
KC's form is real, but T1's knockout stage track record over the last three Worlds is in a different class, and Fearless Draft in a best-of-five favors the deeper champion pools and experience of Faker and Keria. Where KC can hurt T1 is early tempo. If Yike gets the jungle going the way he did against MKOI, KC can steal games.
Our picks
- TES to beat IG. TES has the better season numbers and won the most recent best-of-five. Lean: series goes 4+ games, given how evenly these two have played all year.
- Gen.G to beat LYON. The most lopsided quarterfinal on paper. LYON has shown fight, so a 3-1 is a reasonable outcome, but Gen.G -1.5 maps is our preferred angle over the straight moneyline.
- BLG to beat Dplus KIA. Our upset-ish pick. BLG's domestic body of work and its sweep of Hanwha Life give us enough to take the LPL side in a near coin flip. Expect 4 or 5 games.
- T1 to beat Karmine Corp, 3-1. We expect KC to take a game, and KC +1.5 maps is a fair alternative if the price is good. T1 to advance is the pick, but a sweep is not a lock against a team on this kind of run.
Player props worth a look: Yike kills overs for KC, since the team runs a lot of its early game through him, and Faker assists overs in a series we expect to go at least four games. Lines will vary by app, so compare prices on PrizePicks, Underdog and your sportsbook before you lock anything in.
For more matchup data and player props, check our esports props board and esports player pages, and see everything on the slate at today.
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Sources: Strafe: Worlds 2026 Playoffs bracket, schedule and start times · RG.org: Worlds 2026 quarterfinals set · Timesaver.gg: Worlds 2026 bracket · Pro-Gamer.fr: T1 vs Karmine Corp quarterfinal · Team-AAA: Karmine Corp eliminates Movistar KOI · Wikipedia: 2026 LPL season
Predictions are ChalkEdge's opinion from the data available when this was written, not a guarantee. Lines and lineups change: check the current line before you play.