Demacia Cup 2026 Playoffs Set With Eight-Team Bracket

The Demacia Cup Global Invitational 2026 playoff bracket is set, with eight teams competing in a single-elimination stage at the Beijing JD Esports Center from Oct. 12-17.

The field includes KT Rolster, BNK FEARX and HANJIN BRION from the LCK; Team WE, LGD Gaming and JD Gaming from the LPL; Team Vitality from the LEC; and FlyQuest from the LCS.

JD Gaming secured the final playoff place on Oct. 8 with a 2-1 comeback win over Natus Vincere. FlyQuest also advanced that day after defeating RED Canids 2-0. FlyQuest entered the match with an 0-2 tournament record.

BNK FEARX will play JD Gaming in the first quarterfinal on Oct. 12 at 2 a.m. Eastern Time, followed by KT Rolster against Team Vitality at 5 a.m. ET. On Oct. 13, Team WE will face FlyQuest at 2 a.m. ET, while HANJIN BRION will meet LGD Gaming at 5 a.m. ET.

The semifinals are scheduled for Oct. 14 and 15, with both matches starting at 5 a.m. ET. Oct. 16 is a rest day, and the grand final will begin Oct. 17 at 5 a.m. ET. The quarterfinals on Oct. 12 and 13 will start at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. China Standard Time, respectively. The semifinals and final will start at 5 p.m. China Standard Time.

Every playoff match will be a best-of-five series played under Fearless Draft rules. A champion selected in one game cannot be selected again by either team for the rest of the series. A team is eliminated after one series loss.

The offline stage will include Coach Comms. Coaches can speak with their players three times per game for up to 45 seconds each time, without pausing the match. In Game 1 of each quarterfinal, the team with the better Swiss Stage record will choose its side. From the semifinals onward, a coin flip will determine side selection for Game 1.

The tournament has a total prize pool of ¥1.5 million, or about $224,000. The champion will receive ¥600,000, approximately $89,500.

Follow our gaming coverage and visit our game gift marketplace for available digital products.