On Sunday, 12 July, the 2026 Mid-Season Invitational tournament, also known simply as MSI 2026, finished up in Daejeon, South Korea, delivering an incredibly close Grand Final, where South Korea’s Hanwha Life Esports claimed their first-ever MSI title by defeating China's Bilibili Gaming in a 3–2 slugfest.

It was a League of Legends (LoL) esports spectacle, with the best in the world setting Summoner's Rift ablaze with their incredible plays. The tournament started with the Play-In Stage, where world champions T1 smashed through the competition to claim a spot in the Playoffs.

In the Playoffs Stage, Bilibili Gaming took out T1 with a 3-2 win after a hotly contested map. The Chinese side went on to beat LYON 3-0 and send Hanwha Life down to the lower bracket after a 3-1 win. In the lower bracket, Hanwha Life bounced back to defeat LYON 3-2, winning the last two games in the process.

The MSI 2026 Grand Final didn't disappoint, delivering an absolute slugfest that kept us glued to our collective seats. Hanwha Life won the first game, but Bilibili Gaming quickly responded to win the next two, putting themselves one win away from the trophy. With their big-match temperament on full display, Hanwha Life dug deep to win the final two games in a row, completing the comeback to win MSI 2026.

Huge congratulations go out to Hanwha Life, who rocked everyone in their path to lift the coveted MSI 2026 trophy. The legendary toplane player, Choi "Zeus" Woo-je, was named the MVP for his incredible plays across the tournament.

Final MSI 2026 Standings

If you just want a quick overview of where each team placed and how much money they won, check out the complete and final standings for MSI 2026 outlined in the table below. In case you didn't know, teams battled for their share of the $2 million prize pool. That's roughly R33 million. The winner (Hanwha Life), also earned a coveted spot at Worlds 2026.

PlacementTeam(s)RegionPrize Pool (USD)1stHanwha LifeSouth Korea (LCK)$500,0002ndBilibili GamingChina (LPL)$300,0003rdLYONNorth America (LCS)$240,0004thG2 EsportsEMEA (LEC)$200,0005th–6thT1 / Secret WhalesSouth Korea (LCK) / Asia-Pacific (LCP)$160,000 each7th–8thFURIA / Top EsportsBrazil (CBLOL) / China (LPL)$110,000 each9thTeam Liquid AlienwareNorth America (LCS)$90,00010thKarmine CorpEMEA (LEC)$70,00011thDeep Cross GamingAsia-Pacific (LCP)$60,000

Don't go anywhere, LoL esports fans! The next big event is the LoL tournament at EWC 2026, so strap in, as we'll bring you a viewer's guide, the biggest news, and results.

Header image via Riot Games.