Dplus Kia won League of Legends at Esports World Cup 2026 on July 19 in Paris, sweeping home team Karmine Corp 3-0 in the Grand Final. The result gives the South Korean roster its first LAN tournament win of the 2026 season and, per the event, its first major international trophy since 2020. Dplus Kia earned $600,000 and 1,000 points toward the Club Championship.
Dplus Kia’s run started in the Group Stage lower bracket after a loss to AG AL. The team then posted consecutive best-of-three sweeps over FURIA and G2 Esports to reach playoffs, followed by a quarterfinal upset of Bilibili Gaming and a semifinal win over Esports World Cup 2025 winners Gen.G.
Karmine Corp reached the final after a comeback win over T1 in the semifinals, setting up an all-underdog championship match on home soil. In the final, Dplus Kia controlled game one, edged a close game two after a late Karmine Corp mistake, and closed out the series 3-0.
“It’s been five years since the international stage, and I’m so proud of myself, and I’m just so excited right now,” said Heo “ShowMaker” Su following the grand final.
Sin “Smash” Guem-jae was named SONY MVP and received an additional $25,000. The 19-year old finished the tournament with an 8.1 KDA (kills/deaths/assists) statistic. “I’m so excited right now, I’m so happy,” Smash said, after receiving the award. “It’s also my birthday in Korea, this is a phenomenal birthday.” Earlier on July 19, Gen.G secured third place over T1 with a 2-1 win, collecting $220,000.
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