MSI 2026 endgame analysis: BLG reach the final first, the 26.13 meta and the standout players

MSI 2026 is running in Daejeon, South Korea from 28 June to 12 July on patch 26.13. The eight-team main event has entered its closing stages and the final is in sight. Here's a numbers-led breakdown of the meta so far, the teams that advanced and the players who stood out.

The shape of the final (as of 10 July, ongoing)

• BLG are first into the final. They took a full five games against T1, beat LYON 3-0, and defeated HLE 3-1 in the upper bracket final.
• HLE swept TSW and G2 3-0 back to back, but lost to BLG in the upper final and dropped to the lower bracket final.
• In the lower bracket, G2 knocked T1 out 3-1 (details below). LYON and G2 now contest the lower bracket, and the winner faces HLE in the lower final. Whoever survives challenges BLG in the grand final.

The huge upset: G2 beat T1

This was the most talked-about series of the tournament. G2 beat T1 3-1 and knocked them out of MSI. For G2 it was their first BO5 win over T1 in roughly seven years, since Worlds 2019. T1 finished outside the top four at an international event for the first time in their history, and that historic step back was reported around the world.

Game four settled it: at 50 minutes 57 seconds it was the longest game of MSI 2026 so far, and G2's top laner BrokenBlade led a huge comeback with a series-MVP level performance.

The patch 26.13 meta

The top teams' drafts share a common shape: give the top laner something light (weakside), have the jungler take the initiative, and place scaling champions in mid and bot. Bot lane priority is high, with Varus treated as pick-or-ban. To break up a uniform meta that had lasted several patches, Riot buffed side lanes and proactive mid champions.

Champions by the numbers (tournament totals, as of 10 July)

Champion	Trend	Numbers
Rumble	Top/mid mainstay	5 games, 5 wins (100% win rate)
Poppy	Top ban priority	12 bans
Varus	Bot lane pick-or-ban	High pick and ban rate

The buffed counters — the options Riot wants to push.

Champion	Purpose
Jax	Side-lane push and pull
Gwen	Side-lane push and pull
LeBlanc	Proactive mid
Sylas	Proactive mid

The players who stood out

• Knight (BLG, mid). The centre of this tournament. Rated among the world's best mids in 2026, he leads the team with a wide champion pool and his teamfighting.
• Bin (BLG, top). Seen as the world's best top laner for his consistency. He shows up both in side-lane pressure and in teamfights.
• Zeus (HLE, top). A two-time world champion. Strong laning and a deep pool underpinned HLE's run.
• Kanavi (HLE, jungle). Currently among the world's finest early-game junglers. He creates the first move with unusual pathing.
• BrokenBlade (G2, top). The architect of the win over T1. His game-four comeback dragged the series over the line and broke a seven-year wall.

The schedule from here (Korea time)

BLG have moved into the final ahead of everyone else, while HLE, G2 and LYON fight over the last slot. With the dominant T1 gone, this upset-filled tournament is heading for an unpredictable ending.

Really looking forward to that final.