Underdog tales aren’t constructed on random happenstance. Quite, they’re fostered by means of the unseen moments that fly below the radar.
League of Legends isn’t any completely different from another type of competitors. Groups are bracketed into their particular roles, just like different sports activities.
China’s LPL is making a run on the dominant LCK, Korea’s prime league. North America’s LCS and Europe’s LEC have a long-standing rivalry for who can declare to be the perfect within the Western Hemisphere.
On the backside are Brazil’s CBLOL and the wide-ranging, five-country area referred to as the LCP.
Naturally, when the areas converge at worldwide occasions, the LCP and CBLOL are extensively considered because the groups that will have the happy-to-be-stints.
However ask the area’s gamers about their aspirations throughout these tournaments, they usually’ll reveal one thing extra nuanced.
There isn’t any false bravado within the groups. As an alternative, they view every alternative to play exterior of their areas as an opportunity to study one thing worthwhile.
“I imply, undoubtedly win in all probability in opposition to something that’s not Asian could be like an excellent expectation,” FURIA midlaner Arthur “Tutsz” Machado mentioned to Esports Insider. “Asian, I imply LCK or LPL. I feel we, if we lose to [LCP], it’s type of a bit of bit upsetting for us. So I feel we’re undoubtedly wanting ahead to beating G2 or Staff Secret Whales. … I feel we’ve got numerous strengths, and I feel if we get good drafts and perceive what we have to do, I feel we’re going to be high-quality.”
For LCP champion Staff Secret Whales and CBLOL champion FURIA, the Mid-Season Invitational 2026 served as a reminder of how far every area has come, but in addition supplied a stern reminder that progress isn’t going to be linear.
CBLOL: A reward nonetheless ready to be earned
The CBLOL Cup was the occasion that will ship a staff from Brazil to First Stand for the primary worldwide in South America.
FURIA didn’t make it to First Stand, ending third. They did, nevertheless, handle to earn a spot within the Americas Cup – a cross-region battle between the second- and third-place groups within the LCS and CBLOL.
Whereas CBLOL had grown in the course of the short-lived LTA experiment, a lot of the narrative was locked into the concept that, regardless of CBLOL’s strides towards competing, successful would stay troublesome.
FURIA blew this expectation out of the water, going undefeated within the Americas Cup to safe a trophy for the area. They rode this momentum by means of the CBLOL Spring Break up to e-book a visit to Korea for MSI.
“Tremendous excited,” FURIA jungler Pedro “Tatu” Seixas mentioned. “The subsequent battle is about getting six spots for MSI, too. As a result of now we’re the one area with out a second MSI spot. Let’s battle for it. Dude, let’s get some wins, enter some tournaments.”
Coming into the match, expectations have been excessive. Profitable had already occurred, however now it was a matter of doing it constantly in opposition to the West’s prime groups like LYON and G2.
“I feel LEC is one step forward,” Tatu mentioned.
FURIA bought its want – a matchup with LYON, the LCS’s champion, within the opening spherical of the bracket stage of MSI. FURIA matched up nicely, standing toe-to-toe with LYON in numerous areas. The one space they lacked: self-discipline.
The dearth of self-discipline reared its head in key spots in opposition to LYON. As an alternative of enjoying with a lead and slowing down, the staff maintained an aggressive strategy, permitting LYON to seek out the fitting moments to show the sport round because of FURIA’s hurried play.
“We have been forward,” FURIA coach Erick “furyz” Susin advised me. “So I really feel it’s… studying how one can play our personal sport and slowly doing the issues we wish and never simply responding to the enemies.”
With the LYON sport misplaced, issues weren’t going to get simpler for FURIA. They drew the legendary staff, T1, and its stacked roster that begins with the midlane icon Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok.
So, whereas LYON was a missed alternative to safe a collection win, T1 marked a distinct realization – a sense that whereas rungs have been climbed, the highest remains to be a noticeable distance away.
T1 swept FURIA, marking the top of their match with out successful a single sport.
“We knew it wasn’t going to be a simple sport, a simple BO5. We got here with the mentality that, ‘Yeah, perhaps if we play our greatest, we will beat them,’” FURIA help Gabriel “JoJo” Dzelme de Oliveira mentioned. “We type of wished to point out folks that we will additionally play in opposition to them. However we didn’t win a single sport. I feel they’re simply manner higher than us proper now.”
Regardless of failure to safe a sport, Furyz managed to see the massive image and what was achieved, even with out a win.
“Generally when Brazil performs in opposition to Korea, for instance, you can see some video games have been inconceivable to play after 10 minutes,” furyz mentioned. “It’s a bit of bit nearer. It’s extra concerning the consistency and the macro self-discipline, and I feel these issues are higher than us. Right now was fairly clear, however I’ve some hope as a result of I really feel like numerous occasions our staff is combating, like we have been enjoying stuff collectively, and we might beat them in staff fights.
“There’s a lot we will study from these video games.”
CBLOL didn’t get to ship one other staff to MSI, the one area to not obtain a second bid to the occasion. They did, nevertheless, personal an additional Worlds spot, that means there might be extra alternatives for groups from the area to expertise worldwide play.
With the main focus turning to Worlds in the US in mid-October, you may be certain FURIA might be entrance and middle, making an attempt to maneuver the area ahead.
“We’re enhancing lots,” Tutsz mentioned. “I’m undecided if we’re the most effective within the West or not. … [Playing against LYON was a] fairly good technique to see how nicely we’re faring, as a result of they’re a extremely good staff. [It’s] a reasonably good thermometer for us.”
LCP: Down, however by no means out
Brazil was established as a League of Legends area in 2014, giving it a powerful head begin in constructing a participant base and growing an ecosystem able to supporting a area of its personal.
The identical can’t be mentioned for Vietnam. Vietnam has a powerful curiosity in League of Legends, however the nation lacks a deep participant pool.
“When evaluating VCS with one other area, I really feel like our VCS area doesn’t have a big participant base, so making a comparability is sort of troublesome,” TSW jungler Lê “Hizto” Văn Hoàng Hải mentioned. “As a result of their areas are very sturdy in each side, from media to the folks themselves, they’re very sturdy.”
The Vietnam Championship Sequence (VCS) is the home league, that includes 5 groups.
Staff Secret Whales should not a kind of groups. They’re one among three Vietnamese groups within the LCP – a hodgepodge of 5 sub-regions (Vietnam, Taiwan, Australia, Japan, and Hong Kong) based in 2025.
Staff Secret Whales have appeared in three consecutive worldwide occasions, beginning with the World Championships in 2025. The staff managed to earn one win at Worlds, defeating Brazilian facet Vivo Keyd Stars, earlier than failing to win one other collection for the occasion.
They went winless at First Stand in Brazil however dominated the LCP to earn a berth at MSI.
However issues weren’t going to begin off straightforward for them, drawing LCK facet and hometown internet hosting Hanwha Life Esports. The sport wasn’t shut, as HLE cruised to a simple 3-0 sweep.
“I feel the third time I’m attending MSI, I feel I’ll show to everybody that I’ll present a distinct face on the worldwide stage,” Hizto mentioned. “However as a result of we met staff HLE, the LCK first seed, and they’re too sturdy, I haven’t been in a position to present a lot.”
Many pundits predicted TSW could be the primary staff to be despatched residence. Sure, they have been the LCP’s finest, however they’re miles behind Asian squads and lack the legacy or expertise to correctly compete in opposition to established groups.
However within the moments after TSW surprised China’s Prime Esports with a 3-1 victory, social media exploded in help. TSW wasn’t simply an underdog story. They have been a staff that performed the sport in a refreshing method with picks like Volibear and Sett in opposition to meta champions.
The staff turned on the spot favorites of the League of Legends fandom.
LCP caster Jim Pike had known as it months earlier, earlier than anybody exterior Vietnam was watching intently.
“They’re down, however by no means out,” Pike mentioned.
The magic ended with a loss to LYON, however TSW coach Chen “Warhorse” Ju-Chih is balancing the act of setting extremely bold objectives with time to correctly develop into engaging in them.
“I’ve been in LPL and LCK for fairly a very long time,” Warhorse mentioned. “So I feel this time coming to LCP, the secret’s I set a really excessive aim for my gamers and hope they will obtain it. I feel what I discovered from my earlier expertise is that though I set excessive objectives, I additionally give myself sufficient time to progressively obtain them. Allow them to develop step-by-step.”
The query now turns into: Can Staff Secret Whales proceed their progress into the Summer time Break up and an all however inevitable (they lead the LCP in rating factors by a substantial margin) look on the World Championships?
“Going to the world stage helps us enhance lots for the long run,” TSW bot-laner Hoàng “Eddie” Công Nghĩa mentioned to ESI. “It offers us extra expertise to compete in even larger tournaments. I feel on the upcoming EWC, we’ll break by means of rather more.”
Like FURIA, TSW are in search of consistency as they strategy the following set of enhancements.
The defeat of TES marked a milestone for the staff and area. Whereas it was sandwiched between two 3-0 defeats, the indicators are there for a staff and area able to put one other foot ahead.
The decision: Win or study
Whereas the distinction between Staff Secret Whales and FURIA’s MSI experiences is a giant one, the 2 areas nonetheless managed to depart with what they wanted greater than they wished.
For FURIA, they left with out taking a single sport, however can sit up for the instructing factors and give attention to what to enhance on to take that subsequent step. Their progress might really feel stunted by a scarcity of wins, however successful isn’t the one technique to really see progress.
TSW managed to get their first collection win in opposition to a Chinese language facet. They managed to get the very best consequence – a win and studying factors. Their progress might look like it’s shifting in the fitting course, however solely future collection and matches will in the end determine that.
FURIA will probably have a extra secure street. The West is significantly rising collectively, and CBLOL will reap the advantage of a hemisphere trying to increase its tides to raise all ships.
In the meantime, TSW might see an accelerated however risky progress curve. Their proximity to the facility areas makes it simpler for gamers to get high-quality video games with much less friction than within the West. With that, nevertheless, comes the potential of shedding gamers to different leagues, primarily the LPL.
“It’s so laborious to construct a story on a participant when the participant performs one break up, one yr, after which buggers off someplace else,” Pike mentioned. “Now that narrative’s moved to them being in a totally completely different area. It’s laborious to develop the gamers in that occasion, particularly for an English-speaking viewers.”
Whether or not or not LPL groups attempt to purchase gamers like Hizto or Eddie to their league is past TSW’s management and even the LCP’s. The essential factor is for the LCP to proceed making strides to assist the groups within the area develop.
For now, TSW and FURIA will enter most occasions as underdogs. The hope, nevertheless, is that sooner or later they received’t be in that place, however slightly in the identical breath because the LEC or LCS, with hopes of going greater.
However no matter how TSW or FURIA do shifting ahead, their performances at MSI show one factor: you win, otherwise you study.
Development won’t ever be a straight line.
