T1 are going to Paris. The three-time Worlds champions and first ever LoL EWC champion (in 2024) beat Dplus KIA 3-1 in the upper bracket final of the EWC 2026 Korea Qualifier on May 25, claiming one of Korea's four slots at the Esports World Cup this summer.
Dplus found openings in the early game but couldn't carry those leads into the midgame. T1's experience took over from there, but the series overall was a very impressive skill and mechanical display from both teams.
Korea has four EWC slots. Gen.G hold one as defending EWC champions and skipped the qualifier. Two more go to the top two teams of this bracket — T1 are in, one slot remaining. The fourth belongs to the LCK Road to MSI winner. Tomorrow's lower bracket final pits Hanwha Life Esports against Dplus KIA.
The two met earlier in the upper bracket, where Dplus took the series 2-1. HLE arrive in strong form — top of the LCK standings, fresh off a 2-0 over Nongshim RedForce in the lower bracket.
That fourth slot operates on a cascade: if the Road to MSI winner is already qualified through one of the other paths, it rolls down to the next-best team in the EWC Qualifier bracket. Korea's fourth EWC representative won't be settled until Road to MSI wraps up in June.
