JD Gaming eliminated from LPL Regional Finals, secures Demacia Cup spot
JDG falls 1-3 to Invictus Gaming in the Lower Bracket Final, ending their World Championship hopes for 2026
JD Gaming’s road to the 2026 League of Legends World Championship ended on September 19 at the Shanghai League Arena. A 1-3 defeat to Invictus Gaming in the Lower Bracket Final of the LPL Regional Finals closed the door on Worlds for one of the LPL’s most recognized organizations.
How it unfolded
JDG entered the Lower Bracket Final on the back of a convincing win over Team WE, taking that series 3-1 on September 18. Bot laner GALA, real name Chen Wei, was the standout performer across those games, putting up a string of high-KDA performances including several games where he finished without a single death. He earned MVP honors for the series.
Against IG, JDG managed to take one game, but Invictus Gaming controlled the series decisively, winning three maps to claim the final LPL seed heading into Worlds 2026.
The four teams representing the LPL at the 2026 World Championship are now confirmed: Anyone’s Legend holds the first seed, followed by Bilibili Gaming, Top Esports as the third seed, and IG as the final qualifier. Top Esports had locked up their berth two days earlier by beating IG 3-1 in the Upper Bracket Final on September 17, which sent IG into the lower bracket.
What JDG is walking away with
Missing Worlds is not a small thing for JDG. The organization has been one of the LPL’s marquee names for years, and their 2023 World Championship semifinal run is still a reference point for how dangerous this roster can be.
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JDG will participate in the newly established Demacia Cup Global Invitational 2026, an event designed for teams that did not qualify for Worlds, providing a competitive outlet and a global stage outside the Worlds bracket.
The bigger picture for the LPL
The 2026 LPL Regional Finals format gives teams a second route to Worlds after the regular season concludes. JDG spent nearly a full week competing at the Shanghai League Arena, won a meaningful series against WE, and still came up empty on the Worlds front.
The four LPL Worlds representatives — Anyone’s Legend, Bilibili Gaming, Top Esports, and IG — bring genuinely different playstyles and pedigrees to the international stage.