Team Liquid have been crowned champions of the 2026 LCS Summer Split in League of Legends. In their 3–1 victory over LYON, ‘CoreJJ’ made history – whilst ‘Josedeodo’ dominated the final with his play.
Back on top at 32: Yong-in ‘CoreJJ’ Jo has won the final of the North American LCS Summer Split 2026 with Team Liquid. This makes him the oldest player ever to triumph in a top-tier League of Legends competition.
Whilst the LEC final took place in Europe just under two weeks ago, the LCS final marked the last major decision ahead of the Worlds. For ‘CoreJJ’, it turned out to be another very special evening.
As a support player, ‘CoreJJ’ is primarily responsible for setting up his teammates and preparing for team fights. He succeeded in this time and again: the veteran was directly involved in 42 of Team Liquid’s 57 kills, racking up a total of 38 assists.
“Josedeodo” named Finals MVP
The series was played as a best-of-five – meaning three wins were needed to secure the overall victory. In sporting terms, Brandon “Josedeodo” Villegas stood out above all others. In the very first game, the jungler led Team Liquid to a 1–0 lead with a strong ‘Lee Sin’ performance. After LYON had made up for an early deficit, the match remained evenly balanced for a long time – before Team Liquid clinched the decisive team fight.
Game two went decisively to Team Liquid after a closely contested start. However, LYON fought back in the third game and, following a strong performance, narrowed the deficit to 1–2.
The decisive moment came in game four. After a tight opening phase, Team Liquid gradually took control. One fight in particular, following the Baron, put the eventual winners on the path to victory. Instead of letting LYON catch them off guard, Liquid waited patiently for the right moment. LYON attempted to chase down their retreating opponents and force a fight. Team Liquid, however, remained remarkably patient, letting their opponents come to them and responding to the attack almost flawlessly. The composure shown in this team fight ultimately provided the decisive advantage.
“Josedeodo” finished the series with 16 kills, four deaths and 27 assists, and was subsequently voted Finals MVP.
Now only the Worlds remain
With the LCS Final, the penultimate regional qualifier of the season has also been decided. This leaves just two teams from Brazil to qualify for the 2026 Worlds in North America. The draw for the play-ins will take place on 10 October following the final.
Team Liquid and LYON will enter the group stage directly under the Swiss system, whilst Cloud9, as the third North American representative, must first navigate the play-ins. The World Championship begins on 15 October.
‘CoreJJ’ is already set to break another age record at the Worlds. As soon as the 32-year-old plays a match, he will become the oldest player ever to feature in a League of Legends World Championship. There, alongside Team Liquid, he can achieve what no North American team has ever managed: winning the Worlds title.
Europe, too, is still waiting for its first Worlds title. Leading the charge will be G2 Esports – centred around the new Hall of Legends inductee Rasmus ‘Caps’ Borregaard Winther and his team-mate Sergen ‘BrokenBlade’ Çelik.