Hanjin BRION Rallies Past LGD 3-1 to Reach Demacia Cup Semifinals

Hanjin BRION completes a three-game comeback

Hanjin BRION defeated LGD Gaming 3-1 in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Demacia Cup Global Invitational. The best-of-five series was played at Beijing Smart Esports Center on October 13 and sent the Korean team into a semifinal against Team WE.

LGD won the opening game, but Hanjin BRION answered with three consecutive victories. The result leaves three LCK teams and one LPL representative in the final four of the international League of Legends event.

Hanjin BRION will face Team WE on October 15. The other semifinal brings together kt Rolster and BNK FearX on October 14, guaranteeing at least one Korean team in the final.

LGD controls the opening game

LGD began the quarterfinal with clear control of the map. Heng used Qiyana to build an advantage over GIDEON's Vi, while Tangyuan's Syndra helped LGD maintain priority through the center of the map.

The Chinese team converted that control into towers and neutral objectives. Hanjin BRION could not establish the teamfights needed to slow the pace, and LGD closed the first game in 28 minutes.

The opening result suggested that LGD's mid-jungle pressure could define the series. Instead, Hanjin BRION adjusted its approach around the next dragon fights and gradually took control of the match.

Objective fights turn Game 2

LGD also started the second game well. Tangyuan's Ryze moved to the top lane at level three to help secure first blood, and LGD repeatedly pressured Casting's Varus during the early stages.

Hanjin BRION stayed within reach by contesting dragons. When Ryze attempted to enter a fight from the side, the Korean team focused him first and prevented the flank from deciding the engagement. A Lee Sin and Orianna combination from GIDEON and Roamer then removed LGD's jungler and helped BRION secure the third dragon.

The decisive moment came in the fight for Dragon Soul. Hanjin BRION handled the chaotic engagement better, won the battle and tied the series at 1-1.

That game changed the rhythm of the quarterfinal. LGD continued to create early advantages, but Hanjin BRION had found a reliable way to fight around major objectives.

Another dragon fight flips Game 3

Heng's Maokai gave LGD another strong opening in the third game. Early ganks in the top and bottom lanes created room for Crisp's Bard to move around the map, forcing Hanjin BRION to respond rather than set the pace.

The match changed near LGD's third dragon attempt. Despite entering the fight from behind, Hanjin BRION separated LGD's carries from the frontline and completed an ace. The Korean team won another full fight around the following dragon and used the resulting Baron buff to attack LGD's base.

The comeback moved Hanjin BRION ahead 2-1 in the series. LGD had produced the better opening in each of the first three games, but BRION's decisions around dragons and Baron were proving more decisive than the early gold and map pressure.

Hanjin BRION closes the series in Game 4

The fourth game was the first in which Hanjin BRION established the early momentum. The team collected three kills in the first major fight at 12 minutes and gained control of the objective sequence.

LGD attempted to create pressure with long-range damage, but Namgung's Neeko caught Heng's Jayce from an ambush before the third dragon. LGD later started a risky Baron Nashor attempt while looking for a way back into the game.

Roamer's Ahri returned to the fight through Teleport, Hanjin BRION pushed LGD away from the pit and secured Baron. With pressure across all three lanes, BRION forced the final engagement and completed the 3-1 victory.

The closing game showed the progression of the series. Hanjin BRION moved from reacting to LGD's early plans to controlling the first important teamfight and the major objectives itself.

Team WE survives a five-game quarterfinal

Earlier on October 13, Team WE defeated FlyQuest 3-2 in the other quarterfinal. The series reached a fifth game despite expectations that the LPL team would win more comfortably.

Karis delivered the decisive performance on LeBlanc in Game 5, helping Team WE secure the last available semifinal place. FlyQuest's elimination also removed the final Western representative from the tournament.

With Team WE advancing alongside Hanjin BRION, kt Rolster and BNK FearX, the semifinal lineup contains three Korean teams and one Chinese team. The format still allows an all-LCK final, but Team WE can prevent it by defeating Hanjin BRION.

Semifinal schedule and stakes

The first semifinal between kt Rolster and BNK FearX is scheduled for 6:00 PM on October 14. Hanjin BRION and Team WE will play at the same listed time on October 15.

Hanjin BRION enters the next round after winning three straight games against LGD, but Team WE arrives with the experience of a full five-game series against FlyQuest. Both teams have already shown that they can recover when a knockout match becomes difficult.

The winners will advance to the Demacia Cup Global Invitational final. For Hanjin BRION, another victory would complete a run through both LPL opponents in the knockout stage and move the seventh Korean seed within one series of the title.