Following a day’s break, the 2026 MSI lower bracket second round kicks off soon with T1 facing G2. Who will win is uncertain. Judging from recent performances, T1 seems a bit stronger than G2. Yet G2, as the traditional nemesis of Korean teams, could unexpectedly play well and topple T1, but such an upset is improbable.

In addition, BLG and HLE will battle for the first finals spot. BLG’s strength is unquestionable—if they play normally and avoid overconfidence, they have a good chance to beat HLE. However, HLE is also strong, and the two teams will likely need a full five games to decide the winner. TES has already been eliminated in the quarterfinals, leaving BLG as the LPL’s last hope. Hopefully the players can handle the pressure and reach the finals.

TES got demolished by LYON in scrims.

After LYON was swept by BLG and fell into the lower bracket, their bot laner Berserker gave an interview. When asked about facing TSW, who had beaten TES, Berserker said they hadn’t scrimmed TSW and didn’t know how strong they were, but they had never lost a single scrim against TES. Wow, did TES get crushed by a North American team?

If they couldn’t win a single scrim against LYON, then losing to TSW becomes understandable. This team seems to collapse every time the meta shifts. Previously, a Brazilian team also mentioned in an interview that an LPL team would surrender after 15–20 minutes in scrims—likely referring to TES. So it appears TES might indeed be the weakest team in this MSI knockout stage.

Rumor: TES and NIP swapping supports.

After TES’s crushing defeat to Vietnam, they flew back overnight. Upon landing, rumors surfaced that TES management recalled 369 and contacted Hang and Zhuo for the support role. Recently, Lianlian Hongcha posted that NIP has already had players leave, and TES’s support will likely be Zhuo. However, Guo Hao prefers giving rookies a chance and might keep two support players. Another rumor is that TES and NIP are swapping supports.

Beichuan’s agent recently revealed that the intention to swap supports between TES and NIP has been reached, but not yet signed. So in the next season, Zhuo will return to TES regardless. Fengyue also deserves another chance as a rookie—if abandoned outright, he might go to a weaker team with little opportunity to achieve results. Moreover, the bot lane’s poor performance isn’t solely the support’s fault.

IG’s Rookie takes a jab at TES.

After IG announced TheShy’s return, their new season lineup is set. Recently, the team held a group stream where the starting five watched the World Cup together. Rookie appeared for the first time after his relationship scandal, looking in good spirits. While watching the match, they didn’t miss the chance to mock TES. For instance, Rookie said his goal for the new season is to avoid being reverse swept—clearly referencing TES’s loss to G2.

The others also chatted about what songs they’ve been listening to. Just as they were about to say “gyroscope” (a meme for TES), the manager stopped them. These guys are really bold—TES fans still haven’t vented their anger. Rookie’s behavior is somewhat petty. Previously, everyone thought he and “Brother” (JackeyLove) were good friends, but as soon as the latter made a mistake, he couldn’t resist mocking him.

Conclusion:

TES’s performance at this MSI has indeed been bizarre. They didn’t win a single game in two BO5s and lost every scrim. Among eight teams including Brazilian, Vietnamese, and Western teams, they ended up at the bottom—hard to stomach. If they were going to lose so badly, they might as well have played in the play-in stage. Even losing to T1 would have saved face.

So, do you think swapping supports will help TES?

Feel free to leave your thoughts!