There were some big upsets this year but in the end, South Korea still stands tall.
There’s just no unseating Hanwha Life Esports while they’re on home soil as they take down Bilibili Gaming to become the MSI 2026 champions. The grand finals was a full five-game slobber knocker as Hanwha Life successfully kept the MSI trophy in South Korea.
Even before the grand finals, MSI 2026 was still a tournament to remember. Upsets were popping up everywhere as the unlikeliest teams were leveling up at the right time. First it was the Pacific’s Secret Whales overcoming Top Esports, China’s number two, in the lower bracket. Then the Kings of Europe, G2 Esports, did the unthinkable and defeated the reigning world champions T1, eliminating them from the tournament. And yet somehow, G2 ends up getting swept out of the tournament by LYON, the champions of America.
Things were also looking bad for South Korea as Bilibili Gaming got the better of Hanwha Life Esports in the upper bracket finals. It got extra dire for them when they were down two games against LYON in the lower bracket finals. But this isn’t Hanwha Life Esports’ first rodeo. They’ve been in these situations before and know exactly how to navigate them.
They mounted a comeback not once, but twice – one against LYON and another against Bilibili in the grand finals. The upsets stopped with them as Hanwha Life Esports bag their first ever MSI trophy.
Shattered Predictions at MSI 2026
Top Esports dropping early and in the hands of a weaker region broke everyone’s expectations and Pick’Ems. That should have been a sign to everyone to expect the unexpected in MSI 2026.
While T1 losing to G2 was shocking, it was the way they lost that was the most alarming. They looked completely lost against G2’s niche counterpicks and leveraged that knowledge gap to the fullest. Even though South Korea are once again international champions, they don’t look as untouchable as before. It’ll be interesting to see if this trend continues as the season goes on.
Banner image from Colin Young-Wolff / Riot Games.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hanwha Life Esports won the MSI 2026 championship, defeating Bilibili Gaming in a five-game grand final. The South Korean squad completed the run at home, following comeback wins against LYON in the lower bracket finals and Bilibili Gaming in the grand final itself.
MSI 2026 saw several major upsets: Pacific’s Secret Whales eliminated China’s Top Esports, G2 Esports defeated reigning world champions T1, and LYON, the American region’s champions, then swept G2 out of the tournament entirely in the lower bracket, upending pre-tournament Pick’Em predictions across the board.
Hanwha Life Esports lost the upper bracket final to Bilibili Gaming and fell behind two games to LYON in the lower bracket final before recovering. They then reverse-swept the grand final against Bilibili Gaming to secure their first MSI trophy.
No. T1 was eliminated by G2 Esports, who exploited gaps in T1’s champion pool with unfamiliar counterpicks. The loss ended South Korea’s reigning world champions’ run early, though Hanwha Life Esports ultimately kept the MSI trophy in South Korea on home soil.
Hanwha Life Esports defeated Bilibili Gaming in the MSI 2026 grand final, a five-game series played on home soil in South Korea. The win marked Hanwha Life Esports’ first-ever MSI championship title, having previously fallen to Bilibili Gaming in the upper bracket finals earlier in the tournament.
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