T1 stayed alive at MSI 2026 with a 3-0 win over FURIA in Lower Bracket Round 1 of the Bracket Stage, knocking the Brazilian side out of the tournament.
The Korean powerhouse cruised through Games 1 and 2, dominating lanes, controlling the map, and setting up objectives without ever letting FURIA build momentum. It looked like a routine sweep in the making. Then Game 3 happened.
T1 pulled up with one of the strangest drafts of the tournament so far. Doran locked in Varus in the solo lane, Peyz picked Kalista, and Keria went Renata Glasc, with Taliyah and Annie rounding out the composition. On paper, it looked like a comp asking to get punished.
FURIA seemed happy to try. Tatu grabbed Nasus specifically to shut down Kalista with Wither, while Tutsz picked Aurora for damage and crowd control. Add in Gnar for engage plus a Senna and Seraphine backline built for scaling teamfights, and FURIA had a real answer to T1’s ranged threats.
T1 spent most of Game 3 forcing fights they didn’t need to take, throwing Peyz into the middle of FURIA’s team on Kalista like the marksman was a bruiser. FURIA punished a few of those dives, even acing T1 around Baron at one point, with Keria caught laughing on the broadcast after the death.
But FURIA never turned those kills into towers, dragons, or a real map lead. Every time they picked up a moment, T1 answered in the next fight.
Hands diff
The decisive moment came in the final teamfight. Doran’s Varus ultimate locked down Tutsz’s Aurora, and the follow-up burst deleted her before FURIA could reset. With their main damage threat gone, Peyz flew forward on Kalista, and T1 closed the game and the series.
Doran’s Varus finished with damage numbers close to Peyz’s Kalista, making the pick look a lot less questionable in hindsight. Keria’s Renata also proved key, giving Kalista a bailout tool that softened the impact of Nasus’s Wither. T1’s cleanse options did the rest.
With the win, T1 move on in the lower bracket. FURIA head home, ending their MSI 2026 run at the hands of one of the tournament favorites.
