The 2026 League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational play-in stage is over. As fans expected before the event, T1, dominating in skill, secured their spot in the knockout stage with three consecutive 3-0 wins. The entertainment value of this play-in was quite low—every single series ended in a sweep, and no team displayed the upset potential that CFO did last season. In the decisive match, TL could have taken one or two rounds, but their mid-game errors proved costly.

In the first game, T1 built a solid early lead but gave it back in the mid-game. By the 15-minute mark, TL actually had a kill advantage. However, their jungler made a reckless mechanical play that not only cost his own life but also dragged down his teammates. Once T1 started their macro play in the late game, TL had no chance to turn things around. The second game was TL’s best opportunity—they secured the Baron at 24 minutes and had the dragon soul in sight, but their momentum was broken.

Oner pulled off an incredible Baron steal that completely halted TL’s rhythm. As the game dragged on, both teams reached three dragon stacks, and after a 40-minute grind, T1 finally claimed the dragon soul. If TL had lost just one fewer dragon, they might have secured the Elder Dragon in the mid-game and had a real shot at winning. It’s a shame—the gap between weak and strong teams is still massive. After T1 advanced, the official on-site draw ceremony determined the first round of the knockout stage.

The matchups for the first and fourth seed pools were already set without a draw: T1 vs. BLG, and TES vs. G2. For the second and third seed pools, HLE drew TSW, while Brazil’s FURIA faces LYON. The first seed pool matches are undoubtedly the most exciting, and the organizers scheduled them in prime time. The schedule is as follows: Hanwha Life vs. TSW on July 3rd at 11:00 AM, and TES vs. G2 at 4:00 PM.

The LYON vs. FURIA match is on the 4th at 11:00 AM, while the highly anticipated T1 vs. BLG showdown is set for 4:00 PM. For fans of our region, these timings are relatively friendly—4:00 PM is much better than early morning hours. You can sneak in a first game before leaving work, then enjoy the rest after clocking out. However, later matches might start at 11:00 AM, which means we’ll just have to tough it out.

Before the T1 play-in final, BLG top laner Bin gave an interview. When asked to evaluate Doran, Bin boldly stated: “Ever since I debuted, whenever I’ve faced him, I’ve always had the advantage. I knew he might not perform well at this MSI, but I didn’t expect him to play this badly in the play-in. This time we meet, I’ll still beat him easily.” Wow, Bin is truly confident to the point of arrogance.

After T1 advanced to the knockout stage, Doran responded to Bin’s trash talk in an interview: “Although I haven’t seen what he said yet, I can roughly guess. He’s always been a player whose greatest strength is his extreme self-confidence. I feel like we need to knock that confidence down a peg.” The top lane battle of words before the match even starts makes the T1 vs. BLG game even more exciting to watch.

T1 seems fully charged now, and BLG will likely have a tough fight. In Doran’s first two play-in games, he was clearly outmatched in lane. But in the final match against TL, he suddenly stepped up—both in laning and team fights—showing a side that looked almost unfamiliar. If Bin wants to spin Doran like a top, it might be harder than he thinks. With T1 hitting their stride, even if BLG gives their all, they might not be able to take down T1 comfortably.

Conclusion:

Having a double-elimination format for the play-in stage feels a bit unnecessary. As long as there’s one top-tier team, no other squad has a real chance to advance. Look at T1—when they first entered the play-in, their form was fluctuating. But after two series, they were fully locked in for the final match, and even Doran managed to step up. Right now, T1’s strength is no joke.

What’s your take on Bin’s comments?

Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments!