The LPL 2026 Split 3 playoffs are officially locked in, and the Upper Bracket Quarterfinals feature two matchups that should keep League of Legends fans glued to their screens. Top Esports will square off against LGD Gaming on August 29, followed by JD Gaming versus Team WE on August 30.
The stakes are about as high as they get in Chinese esports. The winner of this playoff bracket earns China’s #1 seed at the 2026 World Championship, the annual tournament that effectively crowns a global League of Legends champion.
The bracket breakdown
The LPL is running a double-elimination format with Best of 5 matches throughout. For anyone unfamiliar with the structure, double elimination means a team has to lose twice before they’re out.
The action actually kicked off a day before the marquee matchups, with Knights Rivals play-in matches for lower-seeded teams beginning on August 28. Think of these as the qualifying rounds: the teams that didn’t finish high enough in the regular season to earn a direct bracket spot have to fight their way in through this preliminary stage.
