In the knockout semifinal of the League of Legends 2026 World Championship (S16) that ended on Nov 9, LPL side BLG defeated LCK team T1 3:1 to advance to the final. The win ended a 13-match BO5 losing streak for LPL teams against T1 at Worlds and means T1 mid laner Faker will not get a shot at a fourth consecutive title. The final will be played on Nov 15 at 3:00, with BLG facing fellow LCK team GEN.
Match flow: BLG take game one, T1 hit back, then BLG win two straight
According to the official match report cited by IT之家, BLG took game one when Xun's Naafiri stole the Rift Herald in a 15-minute fight and Knight's Orianna landed a perfect ultimate for a double kill as BLG took down three T1 players. At 27 minutes Bin's K'Sante dominated the teamfight and BLG traded one for four. At 29 minutes ON's Nautilus chained crowd control and Knight's Orianna picked up another double kill as BLG pushed into the base to take the opener.
T1 responded in game two, with Oner's Lee Sin and Doran's Olaf picking up repeated double kills in teamfights. At 31 minutes T1 attacked BLG's base, Doran's Olaf and Faker's Syndra each scored double kills, and T1 wiped out BLG and leveled the series at 1:1.
BLG regained control in game three. At 27 minutes Xun's Pantheon landed a perfect flank with his ultimate and ON's Nami chained crowd control as BLG took down three T1 players. At 32 minutes Xun's Pantheon secured the dragon soul and pressed the attack, Viper's Ezreal scored a double kill, and BLG traded two for four and took Baron. At 35 minutes BLG attacked T1's base, Knight's Taliyah provided key crowd control, and BLG pushed into the base to win the game and take a 2:1 lead.
BLG carried the momentum into game four and closed out the 3:1 victory. IT之家 said in its report that "match details will be updated later" but confirmed BLG's place in the final.
Breaking the curse: LPL beats T1 in a Worlds BO5 for the first time
IT之家 noted that LPL teams had never beaten T1 in a BO5 at Worlds. From S3 to S15, T1 won 13 straight BO5 series against LPL teams at Worlds, a 100% win rate. BLG's victory broke that curse for the LPL.
LPL teams had never beaten T1 in a BO5 at Worlds. From S3 to S15, T1 won 13 straight BO5 series against LPL teams at Worlds, a 100% win rate.
In addition, legendary Korean esports player Faker won the World Championship at S13, S14 and S15, and will not get the chance to chase a fourth straight title this year.
Community reaction and final outlook
After the match, a V2EX user posted "My beloved T1, see you next year," expressing regret over T1's loss. An earlier post read "Go BLG!!!", showing the community's support for BLG.
According to IT之家, the S16 final will be held on Nov 15 at 3:00, with BLG facing LCK team GEN. Whether BLG can keep up its form and win another title for the LPL is the biggest question heading into the final.