Dplus KIA swept Karmine Corp 3-0 to win the League of Legends EWC finals, turning a week dominated by questions over unpaid player wages into the club’s biggest result in years.
The result came only days after Dplus KIA acknowledged a one-month delay in player salary payments and confirmed that the club is in the middle of a sale process. On stage, however, the Korean side looked anything but distracted, shutting down a Karmine Corp run powered by a loud home crowd in Paris.
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Dplus KIA vs Karmine Corp was not the expected EWC finals matchup
The final pairing itself was the first surprise. Karmine Corp and Dplus KIA both reached the title match through lower-bracket routes in the group stage before tearing through a playoff field that included several of the tournament’s biggest names.
Karmine Corp eliminated Anyone’s Legend in the quarterfinals and then stunned T1 in the semifinals. Dplus KIA beat BLG in a three-game quarterfinal and followed it by knocking out Gen.G, setting up a final few would have predicted before the bracket started.
The atmosphere made the final feel even bigger. Karmine Corp were playing in front of a heavily pro-KC crowd, with a packed stage and constant chants pushing the French organization forward. The same energy often turned against Dplus KIA, but the Korean side absorbed the pressure and played the cleaner series from start to finish.
How the EWC finals played out
Dplus KIA did not just win the final, they controlled it. The 3-0 scoreline reflected the gap across the series, with DK repeatedly building early or mid-game advantages and converting them through objective control, calmer teamfighting, and better map pressure.
Game 1 gave Karmine Corp a few openings, including early activity from Yike, but Dplus KIA answered through skirmishes and stronger control around dragons and Baron. Once DK had the map in their hands, KC struggled to find a clean reset point.
Game 2 was the closest stretch of the final. Karmine Corp found fights, but Dplus KIA stayed composed, built small advantages through lanes and rotations, then broke the game open around Baron before moving one win from the trophy.
Game 3 removed most of the tension. Lucid’s early pressure helped Dplus KIA accelerate quickly, ShowMaker found impact on the map, and Smash continued a strong final by winning key moments in the bot lane. Karmine Corp never found the comeback fight their crowd was waiting for.
The official highlight package captured the final’s one-sided ending and the scale of KC’s crowd support, which made Dplus KIA’s sweep even more striking.
For Dplus KIA, the sweep ended a long wait for a major international title. For Karmine Corp, the loss was painful, but the run still marked one of the organization’s biggest League of Legends moments on a global stage.
Full League of Legends EWC 2026 results and prize money
League of Legends had 16 teams at the Esports World Cup, with $2 million on the line. The official League of Legends competition page lists it as part of EWC 26, with teams making it to Paris through regional qualification.
| Placement | Team | Key result | Prize money | Club points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Dplus KIA | Beat Karmine Corp 3-0 in the grand final | $600,000 | 1,000 |
| 2nd | Karmine Corp | Lost 0-3 to Dplus KIA in the grand final | $340,000 | 750 |
| 3rd | Gen.G Esports | Beat T1 2-1 in the third-place match | $220,000 | 500 |
| 4th | T1 | Lost 1-2 to Gen.G in the third-place match | $140,000 | 300 |
| 5th-8th | BLG, Anyone’s Legend, JD Gaming, Hanwha Life Esports | Eliminated in the quarterfinals | $90,000 each | 200 each |
| 9th-12th | MIBR.LOS, G2 Esports, Sentinels, GAM Esports | Exited before playoffs | $55,000 each | Not listed |
| 13th-16th | LYON, FURIA, Secret Whales, Movistar KOI | Exited before playoffs | $30,000 each | Not listed |
It was not the final most people would have picked before playoffs started. T1, Gen.G, Hanwha Life, BLG and JD Gaming all looked like safer bets on paper, but the bracket opened up fast. Karmine Corp knocked out Anyone’s Legend and T1, while Dplus KIA beat BLG and Gen.G to set up an unexpected title match.
Gen.G beat T1 in the third-place match
Gen.G beat T1 2-1 to finish third. They took the opener, T1 pulled the series level, and Gen.G won the final game to lock in $220,000.
The result gave Gen.G a strong finish after their semifinal loss to Dplus KIA. It also left T1 in fourth place after a tournament that began with title expectations but ended with losses to Karmine Corp and Gen.G across the final two days.
T1’s fourth-place finish still came with $140,000 and 300 Club Championship points, but the missed final will stand out because the reigning world champions were beaten by Karmine Corp in one of the tournament’s biggest upsets.
Dplus KIA unpaid wages drama made the title run more complicated
Dplus KIA’s win landed against a difficult off-stage backdrop. On July 16, the club released a statement apologizing for delayed player salary payments and explaining that the delay was tied to setbacks in financial planning during the ongoing sale process.
The club said administrative procedures took longer than expected during the final coordination and advisory phase, creating a temporary disruption that led to a one-month delay in wages. Dplus KIA also said players and coaching staff had been informed about the situation and the progress of the sale before the issue occurred.
Management framed the sale as a move toward a more stable long-term future, saying the organization needs greater resources and support to keep growing. The statement also promised to complete overdue salary payments promptly and make player welfare a priority while the sale process continues.
That made the $600,000 title prize impossible to ignore. The win does not erase the financial questions around the organization, but it gave Dplus KIA a major sporting result and a significant payout just as public attention had turned toward the club’s cash-flow problems.
Dplus KIA’s EWC win sparks wage-delay memes online
The timing of Dplus KIA’s win did not go unnoticed. In the League of Legends post-match thread on Reddit, much of the reaction quickly turned into jokes about DK needing the EWC prize money to cover the delayed wages.
Fans joked about Dplus KIA going from “0 to $600k,” while others leaned into the idea that the players looked extra motivated because of the situation around the organization. The memes were not just about the money either, with several comments tying the run back to the old DAMWON era and ShowMaker looking closer to his peak form again.
It added a strange extra layer to the final. Dplus KIA had just won one of the biggest League of Legends prizes of the year, but a lot of the online reaction was still shaped by the question that followed them into the event: whether the players would finally get paid on time.
Smash wins MVP on his birthday
The final also turned into a personal moment for Smash. Dplus KIA’s bot laner was named MVP after the 3-0 win, giving him the award on the same day as his birthday.
The crowd gave the moment a lighter ending after a series spent mostly cheering for Karmine Corp. Even with KC’s fans behind the home side, they still sang happy birthday in French for Smash after he helped close out the final.
It was a fitting ending to DK’s week. Smash finished the tournament with the trophy, the MVP award and one of the more memorable birthday celebrations he is likely to get on stage.
Karmine Corp leave Paris with a painful but historic run
Karmine Corp still left Paris with one of the stories of the tournament. KC fell short in the final, but their run there gave the event a different feel, especially with the crowd behind them all the way through the last day.
The final almost felt like a home series for Karmine Corp. Their fans filled the arena with chants and noise for every good KC play, while Dplus KIA had to play through a crowd that was clearly waiting for them to slip.
The crowd support could not solve the matchup against Dplus KIA. KC had moments in the first two games, but the final was mostly defined by Dplus KIA’s patience, objective setups and refusal to overextend into the kind of chaotic fights that might have brought the crowd fully back into the series.
Even so, beating Anyone’s Legend and T1 on the way to the final gave Karmine Corp one of the most memorable runs of EWC 2026. The final score was lopsided, but the route there was not.
Frequently asked questions about the EWC finals
Who won the League of Legends EWC finals?
Dplus KIA won the League of Legends EWC finals by beating Karmine Corp 3-0 in the grand final.
How much prize money did Dplus KIA win?
Dplus KIA won $600,000 for finishing first in the League of Legends event at EWC 2026.
What was the Dplus KIA vs Karmine Corp score?
Dplus KIA beat Karmine Corp 3-0, winning all three games in the best-of-five grand final.
Why was Dplus KIA’s win controversial?
The win came days after Dplus KIA acknowledged a one-month delay in player salary payments, which the club linked to financial disruption during its ongoing sale process.
Who won T1 vs Gen.G?
Gen.G won 2-1 and finished third. T1 ended the event in fourth.
Why was Karmine Corp’s final run a surprise?
Karmine Corp were not expected to be the team standing across from Dplus KIA in the final. They got there by beating Anyone’s Legend and then taking down T1.
How many teams played in League of Legends at EWC 2026?
The League of Legends tournament had 16 teams.
What Dplus KIA’s EWC title means next
Dplus KIA’s EWC finals win gives the organization its biggest League of Legends result in years, but the wider story is not finished. The team leaves Paris with a title, $600,000 in prize money and renewed competitive credibility, while the organization still faces questions over its sale process and delayed wage payments.
Karmine Corp leave with a runner-up finish that showed how dangerous they can be in a high-pressure arena, especially with a home crowd behind them. Gen.G’s third-place win over T1 adds another layer to a bracket defined by upsets, Korean depth and a final few expected when the tournament began.
The next updates to watch are Dplus KIA’s handling of its unpaid wages issue, any progress in the club sale, and whether this EWC title becomes a turning point or a one-week peak. Follow more League of Legends coverage through RiftDaily’s EWC hub, esports section, and news.
