DPlus KIA have successfully completed the Cinderella run, taking down tournament giants along the way to be crowned the EWC 2026 LoL champions.

Dplus KIA are the League of Legends (LoL) Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 champions after defeating Karmine Corp in a dominant 3-0 sweep at the tournament's Grand Final on Sunday (19 July).

Both teams reached the Grand Final after remarkable Cinderella runs through the playoffs. Karmine Corp upset LPL powerhouse AG.AL in the quarterfinals before sending T1 crashing out in front of a roaring home crowd. DPlus KIA, meanwhile, pulled off the tournament's biggest shock by knocking out Bilibili Gaming before ending Gen.G's bid for a third consecutive Esports World Cup title in the semifinals.

Here's how the matches went.

DPlus KIA strike first in LoL EWC 2026 Grand Final against Karmine Corp  

DPlus KIA found the early advantage, but Karmine Corp refused to let the game slip away without a fight, repeatedly contesting objectives and preventing DPlus from building an insurmountable gold lead. Even so, Heo “ShowMaker” Sus Viktor and Smash's Kai'Sa proved pivotal in keeping DPlus in control as they gradually tightened its grip across the map. After 31 minutes, DPlus marched into KC's base and destroyed the Nexus with a 16-9 kill lead to take the opening game of the series.

DPlus KIA outplay Karmine Corp to take Game 2 and reach match point

The second game began with both teams trading blows and keeping the gold nearly even through the early and mid game. The turning point came around the Baron pit, where DPlus KIA emerged victorious from a decisive team fight to wrest control of the map. With their lead growing, Smash took over the Rift, spearheading DPlus' relentless push as the LCK side won fight after fight. After 33 minutes and an 18-8 kill lead, DPlus stormed into KC's base and destroyed the Nexus to claim Game 2, putting themselves on match point.

DPlus dominate the third game to win Esports World Cup 2026

DPlus KIA came into the third game determined to close out the series. The LCK side played aggressively from the opening minutes, picking up early kills and bullying KC across the map during the laning phase. Their relentless pressure set the French side's bottom lane behind while preventing their jungler from finding the space to scale.

KC eventually found opportunities to fight back in the mid game, picking up a handful of kills to keep their championship hopes alive. However, Yong-hyeok “Lucid” Choi and Jeon “Siwoo” Si-woo continued to dictate the pace of every major team fight, making it difficult for KC to contest neutral objectives or regain control of the map. With the gold lead continuing to grow, DPlus left the LEC side with no way back. After a 27-minute game and a 23-5 kill lead, DPlus marched into KC's base and destroyed the Nexus to complete the sweep, winning the third game, the series, and the 2026 League of Legends Esports World Cup.

This is DPlus KIA's and Showmaker's first international title since 2021. Smash was notably named the MVP of the series.

With their win, DPlus KIA have been crowned the 2026 Esports World Cup champions for League of Legends, taking home US$600,000. Meanwhile, Karmine Corp. end the tournament in second place, taking home US$340,000 in consolation.