Team Liquid staves off elimination again at LCS Lock-In

Liquid sweeps Disguised 3-0 to advance in lower bracket playoffs

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Team Liquid remained in contention at the League Championship Series 2026 Lock-In tournament in Los Angeles, sweeping Disguised 3-0 in the first lower-bracket quarterfinal. After finishing sixth in the Swiss Stage and winning the last-chance tiebreaker, Liquid staved off elimination again with the sweep of Disguised, who had finished fourth in the Swiss Stage. Liquid now awaits the winner of Saturday's other lower-bracket quarterfinal between LYON and FlyQuest.

Why it matters

The LCS Lock-In is a key early-season tournament that determines seeding and qualification for the 2026 First Stand Tournament, the premier professional League of Legends event in North America. Liquid's ability to bounce back from a poor Swiss Stage performance and avoid elimination demonstrates their resilience and championship pedigree.

The details

Liquid clinched the sweep with wins in 34, 24 and 31 minutes. Josedeodo was named MVP in the final two games, while CoreJJ earned MVP honors in the opening game. Disguised was led by Callme, who had a 6-10-13 kill-death-assist ratio.

  • The LCS 2026 Lock-In tournament is taking place in Los Angeles.
  • Liquid's sweep of Disguised occurred on Friday, February 21, 2026.
  • Liquid will face the winner of Saturday's LYON vs. FlyQuest match in the lower-bracket semifinal on February 27, 2026.
  • The LCS 2026 Lock-In grand final will be played on March 1, 2026.

The players

Team Liquid

A professional esports organization that fields teams in several major competitive video game titles, including League of Legends.

Disguised

A professional League of Legends team that finished fourth in the Swiss Stage of the LCS 2026 Lock-In tournament.

Josedeodo

An Argentine professional League of Legends player who was named MVP in the final two games of Liquid's sweep of Disguised.

CoreJJ

A South Korean professional League of Legends player who was named MVP in the opening game of Liquid's sweep of Disguised.

Callme

A South Korean professional League of Legends player who led Disguised with a 6-10-13 kill-death-assist ratio in the series against Liquid.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee (Instagram)

What’s next

Liquid will face the winner of Saturday's LYON vs. FlyQuest match in the lower-bracket semifinal on February 27, 2026. The LCS 2026 Lock-In grand final will be played on March 1, 2026.

The takeaway

Team Liquid's ability to bounce back from a poor Swiss Stage performance and avoid elimination demonstrates their resilience and championship pedigree in the competitive League of Legends landscape.