Day 2 of the MSI 2026 Play-In stage, held on June 29 at the Daejeon Convention Center in South Korea, saw T1 extend their dominant run to a perfect 6-0 record and Deep Cross Gaming bow out of the tournament without a single map win.
T1 3-0 Karmine Corp: A Masterclass in Efficiency
T1 dispatched Karmine Corp 3-0 in the upper bracket, confirming their status as overwhelming favorites for the entire Play-In. In Game 1, an early counter-jungle attempt from KC backfired disastrously. Phase exploded on Mel, racking up 6 kills in just 10 minutes, while Keria's Pyke punished every mistake with surgical precision. Peyz remained untouchable throughout all three maps and was a constant threat regardless of champion pick.
T1 now hold a perfect 6-0 record across all individual games at the Play-In stage, having not dropped a single map yet. Karmine Corp, making their first-ever MSI appearance, showed flashes of creativity but were clearly outmatched at every phase of the game. They now drop to the lower bracket and must face Team Liquid on June 30 to keep their international dreams alive.
Team Liquid 3-0 Deep Cross Gaming: DCG Exit the Tournament
Team Liquid secured their lower bracket survival by cleanly dispatching Deep Cross Gaming 3-0. The North American squad displayed solid macro play throughout the series, with JoseDeodo pulling out a surprising Shyvana pick in one of the maps — an unconventional choice that paid off. DCG, representing the LCP, failed to win a single game across the entire Play-In stage and are now eliminated from MSI 2026.
The stage is set for a dramatic lower bracket clash between Karmine Corp and Team Liquid on June 30. The loser will be sent home, while the winner earns one final shot at facing T1 in the Play-In grand final — with the prize being the last ticket into the MSI 2026 Bracket Stage.
T1 are on another level — six maps, zero dropped. The question is who will step up to challenge them in the Play-In grand final.