The first semifinal of the League of Legends 2026 World Championship has concluded, with LCK's top seed GEN defeating LPL's fourth seed IG 3-0 to secure the first spot in the finals.
GEN held a clear advantage in the first two games, destroying IG's Nexus consecutively to quickly reach a 2-0 match point. The third game was much more closely contested, with IG establishing an early lead, while GEN stabilized the situation through strategic responses and team fights.
Around the 30-minute mark, GEN seized an opportunity to turn the tide and pushed forward with the Baron buff. Both teams then fell into another stalemate. During mid-lane skirmishes around 38 minutes, GEN caught IG player JiaQi and initiated a team fight, winning the crucial engagement and pushing to end the game.
GEN advanced without dropping a single game, marking their return to the World Championship finals after many years. The other semifinal will feature LPL's second seed BLG against LCK's third seed T1, with the winner becoming GEN's opponent in the finals.