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LoLEsportsT1 Academy Are the First WSCI Winners
T1 Academy has won the first World Star Challengers Invitational (WSCI), Riot’s international Tier 2 tournament.
T1 Academy has won WSCI 2026. Image Credits: @T1LoL via X.com
The World Star Challengers Invitational (WSCI) just finished its first-ever run, and T1 Academy lifted the 2026 Grand Finals trophy after a tiebreaker. Here’s a quick recap.
T1 Academy Has Won Riot’s First World Star Challengers Invitational
In early September, Riot Games announced the World Star Challengers Invitational. This tourney is the first global Tier 2 League of Legends championship, inviting teams to showcase their potential on the international stage.
As of October 2, T1 Academy is the first WSCI winner. The roster, including Haetae (top), Painter (jungle), Guti (mid), Eclipse (bot), and Cloud (support), defeated French team Solary for a 20,000 USD prize.
The best-of-five matchup was close, with a 3-2 final scoreline. Cloud and Eclipse showed particular strength in the botlane, earning MVP honors, and had significant influence on the win. For a while, the teams rested in a 2-2 dead heat. Eclipse’s 11-1 Kai’Sa and Cloud’s Rakan with 18 assists were vital to clutching the trophy in the tiebreaker.
T1 celebrated the WSCI win on social media, writing: “T1A wraps up the 2026 season on top! Let’s give a huge round of applause to our players for turning our journey together into a meaningful result.”
T1 Academy’s WSCI 2026 victory occurs as the org’s main roster heads into Worlds 2026. T1 is defending a three-year win streak. The team, with Faker leading the way, has had an inconsistent season. However, T1 tends to lock in for Worlds, so they remain fierce competition.
What Does WCSI Mean for League Esports?
Riot intended the World Star Challengers Invitational to “open up a higher level of international competition for Tier 2 players and teams. The tournament is structured to help accelerate player development, strengthen connections between regional ecosystems, and establish a global showcase that gives fans a first look at the players who could become the next generation of LoL Esports stars.”
The WSCI will serve as a key connection component between the Tier 1 and Tier 2 ecosystems. It helps ensure a steady influx of new talent keeps circulating into the pro scene, and also provides better promotion pathways for emerging organizations.
T1 Academy’s win places them on the map, but also gives Academy teams overall more time in the spotlight. Esports fans got to watch some intense gameplay from many Tier 2 rosters stemming from well-known orgs: Bilibili Gaming, MKOI, EDward Gaming, Keyd Stars, Dplus, and CTBC Flying Oyster were among the competitors. It’s a welcome shake-up from the Tier 1 main season.
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