Day 1 of the LPL Split 2 2026 quarterfinals delivered exactly what was expected. On May 29 at the Shenzhen LongGang BuJi Cultural & Sports Center, JD Gaming and Top Esports both secured their spots in the semifinals, each eliminating a Knights Rivals play-in qualifier. All matches were played under Hard Fearless Draft rules in a best-of-five format.
JDG 3-1 ThunderTalk: Controlled and Clinical
JD Gaming dispatched ThunderTalk Gaming in four games and never let the series get close. ThunderTalk had momentum coming in after their dominant 3-0 sweep of Invictus Gaming in the play-in stage, but JDG's consistency was on another level. Their mid-jungle coordination and controlled macro game kept TT at arm's length throughout. Support HongQ was named MVP of the series, a testament to JDG's vision-centric approach and clean map control. The 3-1 result was a comfortable win that left JDG with plenty of energy for the rounds ahead.
TES Advance Past LGD Gaming
In the second match of the day, Top Esports ended LGD Gaming's Cinderella run through the playoff bracket. LGD had been one of the stories of the play-in, knocking out Weibo Gaming 3-2 in a stunning upset, but TES — led by top laner 369, mid laner Creme, and ADC JackeyLove — proved that the gap between a play-in qualifier and an Ascend seed is real. TES control their own destiny heading into the semifinals and look like a genuine title contender.
Day 2 (May 30): AL vs EDG and BLG vs WE
Day 2 of the quarterfinals completes the bracket on May 30. Anyone's Legend — the only LPL team to carry their full roster into 2026 — faces EDward Gaming in one of the most intriguing matchups of the round. In the other quarterfinal, defending Split 1 champions BiliBili Gaming take on Team WE, who survived the play-in in five grueling games against LNG. The two winners will join JDG and TES in the semifinals.
JDG and TES are through to the LPL Split 2 2026 semifinals. The bracket picture will be complete after May 30, when AL vs EDG and BLG vs WE decide who joins them.