Gen.G leads Korea into EWC League of Legends quarterfinals

Defending champion Gen.G became the first Korean team to reach the 2026 Esports World Cup (EWC) League of Legends quarterfinals, while T1 fell to Bilibili Gaming.

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Seoul-based global esports squad Gen.G

Defending champion Gen.G became the first Korean team from the LCK, or League of Legends Champions Korea — the country's national league for the game — to reach the quarterfinals of the 2026 Esports World Cup after finishing first in its group on Thursday. 

Gen.G defeated Sentinels of the United States in the winners' match of Group B in the League of Legends group stage at Porte de Versailles in Paris. Four Korean teams — Gen.G, T1, Dplus KIA and Hanwha Life Esports — are competing in this year's tournament. Gen.G advanced to the quarterfinals first among them, winning both of its group-stage matches.

Gen.G struggled early, falling behind in kills, but jungler Kim Geon-bu, known as "Canyon," led the team to a decisive win on Lee Sin, finishing with seven kills and four assists.

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Meanwhile, T1 lost to China's Bilibili Gaming in the Group C winners' match held the same day. T1 failed to avenge its 2-3 series loss to Bilibili Gaming at this year's Mid-Season Invitational held earlier this month. The two teams' all-time head-to-head record is now tied at five wins apiece, with a combined game score of 16-16.


BY KIM HYO-KYOUNG [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

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