Following five days of intense competitive LoL, the League of Legends Esports World Cup 2026 finally came to a conclusion on July 19 in Paris.
The event saw 16 of the world’s top LoL teams battle it out on LAN for a shot at the lion’s share of a $2 million USD prize pool and the title of world champion.
Missed out on the LoL EWC 2026? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
Here’s everything that you need to know about the recently concluded LoL EWC 2026, including all the participating teams, winners, the MVP of the event, the detailed prize pool distribution, and more.
LoL EWC 2026 Teams
The LoL EWC 2026 saw sixteen elite teams from every major region being split into four groups:
- Group A: G2 Esports, AG.AL International, Dplus KIA, FURIA
- Group B: Team Secret, Gen.G Esports, Karmine Corp, Sentinels
- Group C: Bilibili Gaming, T1, GAM Esports, Movistar KOI
- Group D: Hanwha Life Esports, MIBR.LOS, LYON, JD Gaming
The lineup included four teams making their first-ever international appearance in 2026: GAM Esports, MIBR, Movistar KOI, and Sentinels, alongside heavyweights like reigning MSI 2026 champions Hanwha Life Esports and two-time defending EWC champions Gen.G.
The teams had to go through a double-elimination GSL-style group stage before moving into a single-elimination playoff bracket. Regular games were BO1s, whereas elimination games were BO3s.
LoL EWC 2026 Prize Pool Distribution
The LoL EWC 2026 carried a total prize pool of $2,000,000 USD, split across final standings with Club Championship points attached to every placement:
| Placement | Prize Money | Club Points |
| 1st | $600,000 | 1,000 |
| 2nd | $340,000 | 750 |
| 3rd | $220,000 | 500 |
| 4th | $140,000 | 300 |
| 5th–8th (each) | $90,000 | 200 |
| MVP Bonus | $25,000 | — |
LoL EWC 2026 Winners and MVP
In a tournament full of upsets, Dplus KIA completed a “Cinderella run” through the bracket to claim their first international title since 2020, sweeping Karmine Corp 3-0 in a Grand Final. The event marked the first international championship for the org and mid-laner Heo “ShowMaker” Su since 2020.
Karmine Corp’s run to the final was just as dramatic, having upset LPL powerhouse AG.AL in the quarterfinals and then sending home-crowd favorites T1 packing in front of a roaring Paris crowd. Gen.G finished third, and their two-year reign atop the EWC finally came to an end.
The tournament’s MVP title went to Dplus KIA’s bot laner, Shin “Smash” Geum-jae, whose Kai’Sa performances were pivotal in closing out the series against Karmine Corp. Smash takes home the MVP title and a $25,000 bonus on top of the team’s championship winnings.
