On the 17th, at the EWC 2026 LoL quarterfinals held at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, T1 defeated Hanwha Life—the heavy favorite to win the tournament—in a 2-0 sweep to advance to the semifinals. T1 had looked shaky since the MSI, but they transformed into a completely different team once the tournament began. In particular, the performance of 'Doran', who had been struggling, was spectacular.

In Game 1, Hanwha Life secured an early lead by ganking mid to take down 'Faker's' Cassiopeia and successfully countering T1's aggression in the top lane. However, T1 gained a massive advantage during the Void Grub spawn, where they quickly caught 'Gumayusi's' Caitlyn, and 'Doran's' Renekton took down 'Kanavi's' Jarvan. Following this, 'Phase's' Ezreal picked up kills on both Jarvan and Karma in the bottom lane, and Renekton hunted down Caitlyn, shifting the momentum firmly in T1's favor.

'Oner's' Vi, who had been lying in wait in the bottom brush, engaged as soon as 'Zeus'' Ambessa arrived, teaming up with Renekton and Bard to secure the kill. 'Gumayusi's' Caitlyn, already at three deaths, overextended in an attempt to catch Ezreal but was taken down by 'Phase' instead. Hanwha Life began to crumble, and by the 17-minute mark, T1 held a 5k gold lead.

That 5k gold lead was just the beginning. With 'Doran' and 'Phase' putting on incredible performances, the gap quickly widened to over 10k. T1 secured the Baron and cruised to a dominant victory, taking a 1-0 lead in the series.

Game 2 began with both teams trading one kill each in the mid-jungle skirmishes. A chaotic brawl ensued, with both sides trading blows so evenly that it was hard to call a favorite. T1 used the Rift Herald to pressure the mid lane after taking down 'Kanavi's' Lee Sin and 'Gumayusi's' Jhin in the top lane.

Hanwha Life managed to keep the game balanced thanks to 'Zeus'' Swain, who performed well in teamfights. After a brief lull, T1 secured the next Dragon, and Hanwha Life opted not to force a fight. As the game progressed, T1 consistently bested Hanwha Life in major engagements, tilting the scales in their favor. T1 closed out the game steadily, defeating the formidable Hanwha Life 2-0.