TheShy in Worlds semifinal for the first time since 2019 after chaotic IG victory over TES

Invictus Gaming are through to the Worlds 2026 semifinal after a 3-1 victory over Top Esports in a quarterfinal matchup that, from the first game to the last, was defined by chaos – with mistakes, dramatic turnarounds, and a one-hour technical pause along the way.

At the centre of the story is top laner Kang "TheShy" Seung-lok. With the advancement, IG are in a Worlds semifinal for the first time since 2019, and TheShy is part of writing that chapter of history.

The match was anything but straightforward. TES were forced to do without their regular top laner Cheng "ZUIAN" Zi-Hao due to vision problems and instead turned to veteran Bai "369" Jia-Hao, who had stayed away from the competitive scene in 2026, but nonetheless proved decisive for the team. In game 2, it briefly looked as though IG would take a 2-0 lead, but 369 turned the situation around. After a teamfight he stood as the sole surviving TES player and defeated TheShy, Wei, and JiaQi in a 1v3 situation that brought the series back to 1-1.

IG adapted. In the subsequent games, TheShy was placed on tank champions – Ornn in game 3 and K'Sante in game 4 – while the strategy in game 3 was built around Wei's Jayce and JiaQi's Zeri as the primary damage sources. A one-hour technical pause, officially described as an internal issue with the tournament client and possibly triggered by a patch update, interrupted the rhythm without shaking IG's focus. The team returned and closed out the match.

Should IG win the tournament, it would make TheShy and teammate Rookie double-digit world champions – both were part of the squad when IG lifted the trophy in 2018. Rookie himself put the moment into words: "That IG is back."

IG face Gen.G in the semifinal on November 7. TES finish Worlds 2026 in 5th–8th place.