Top Esports and Invictus Gaming kicked off the Worlds 2026 Bracket Stage. IG took control early. Their grip loosened in game two. Mistakes allowed Top Esports to recover. They regained momentum thanks to Wei. He controlled the early games for the second half of the series. Rookie and TheShy advance to the Worlds Semi-Finals for the first time together since 2018.
Worlds 2026: Series Summary
IG dominated most of the series. Game two was by far the most competitive. Both teams made mistakes that kept the game from ending. TES had a chance to take control of game one. However, they overextended in one fight. IG went from behind to a significant gold lead. That was the story of the last two games. Once they got a foothold, they dismantled TES. Both teams endured an extended pause between games three and four.
Player Ratings
Top Esports
369 – 5.0
- Ambessa (3), Renekton (7), Rumble (6), Aatrox (4)
369 had a rough start to the series. He died solo to TheShy. But he recovered. He was instrumental in getting them the win. He defended the base and found Wei on multiple flanks. His Rumble damage kept them alive. However, IG targeted him in game four. He was too far behind to contribute.
Tian – 4.3
- Vi (3), Xin Zhao (6), Skarner (5), Maokai (3)
Tian had another international series to forget. He was decent in their game-winning. He was the frontline they needed. However, he was at fault for their losses in Game 1 and Game 4. He engaged too far on Vi and kept getting caught by Maokai.
Creme – 5.8
- Cassiopeia (5), Orianna (6), Yone (5), Aurora (5)
Creme had a solid series. There were a couple of missed shockwaves. But he was good enough to get TES over the line. He kept up with Rookie throughout the series. The Yone double kill almost saved Game 3, but they were too far behind.
JackeyLove – 4.3
- Ezreal (4), Kalista (5), Ashe (4), Lucian (4)
JackeyLove was not good enough in the series. His positioning was questionable at times. Even the mechanics were lacking at the vital moments. He missed multiple skill shots on Ezreal and had an awful last fight as Lucian. He missed his Culling and walked into an Alistar combo.
Zhuo – 4.0
- Rell (4), Renata Glasc (4), Seraphine (4), Milio (4)
Zhuo struggled in the Quarter Finals. The nerves were clearly affecting him. He ulted backwards on Renata. Ultimately, it did not matter, but it showed his performance in the series. There were always a couple of misplays or bad decisions.
Invictus Gaming
TheShy – 4.5
- Gnar (6), Vayne (2), Ornn (4), K’Sante (6)
TheShy was a cost at times in the series. The Vayne performance was disappointing. He fell behind in lane and lacked impact in teamfights. The Ornn was a bit of a worry as well. He died to a gank for no reason. He was better as K’Sante, but still had shaky moments.
Wei – 7.0 (Total Apex Player of the Series)
- Qiyana (7), Wukong (5), Jayce (9), Naafiri (7)
Wei was incredible in the series. He turned the jungle play around in game one. He started well as Wukong, but TES read his plays. He recovered well. He dominated as both Jayce and Naafiri. His gank timings were perfect in both games.
Rookie – 7.0
- Syndra (7), Viktor (6), Annie (7), Taliyah (7)
Rookie had very few mistakes in the series. His worst mistake was overstepping in Game 2. He walked too close to Tian in the final team fight. His setup champions were exactly what his team needed. He always had the stuns to catch opponents.
JiaQi – 6.3
- Kai’Sa (8), Yunara (6), Zeri (5), Jhin (6)
JiaQi came out swinging to start the series. But as the series went on, he struggled. He had exceptional moments. But he followed those plays with mistakes. Nerves likely impacted him in the series. His Jhin was not as strong as we have seen in the past.
Meiko – 5.8
- Nautilus (6), Lulu (5), Yuumi (5), Alistar (7)
Meiko’s experience was shown throughout the series. He identified every mistake TES made in the final game. Every time an opponent made a mistake, he punished them. The enchanter play was not as impressive as usual. The face-check in game three showcased his struggles with the enchanters in the series.
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