Dplus Kia claimed the League of Legends title at the 2026 Esports World Cup after defeating Karmine Corp 3-0 in a dominant grand final. The South Korean side ended a six-year wait for a major international trophy while securing their first LAN title of the 2026 season.
The victory earned Dplus Kia $600,000 in prize money along with 1,000 Club Championship points, strengthening their position in the Esports World Cup standings.
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Their road to the championship was anything but straightforward. After being pushed into the Group Stage lower bracket by AG AL, Dplus Kia responded with convincing series wins over Brazil’s FURIA and European powerhouse G2 Esports. They then upset China’s Bilibili Gaming in the quarterfinals before defeating defending Esports World Cup champions Gen.G in an intense semifinal.
Karmine Corp also impressed throughout the tournament, reaching the final after eliminating reigning world champions T1 in front of their home fans.
The grand final, however, belonged entirely to Dplus Kia. They controlled the opening game with superior map pressure before edging a closely contested second match after capitalising on late mistakes by Karmine Corp. The third game turned into a one-sided affair as the Korean squad completed a flawless sweep.
Veteran mid-laner Heo “ShowMaker” Su described the victory as a proud moment after returning to the international stage, while support player Oh “Career” Hyung-suk credited the team’s early advantage in Game 3 for sealing the title.
Young star Sin “Smash” Guem-jae was named tournament MVP, earning an additional $25,000 after producing an impressive 8.1 KDA across the event.
Earlier in the day, Gen.G defeated T1 2-1 in the third-place playoff, securing $220,000 in prize money and rounding off another thrilling League of Legends competition.
