Invictus Gaming vs. LNG Esports Prediction on January 2, 2026

Match info

Invictus Gaming vs LNG Esports is a Demacia Cup 2025 semifinal (bo5) — the last step before the final of China’s flagship LPL offseason tournament. Beyond the trophy and prize money, the Demacia Cup is where Chinese League of Legends teams test new rosters, reveal draft priorities, and set early narratives heading into the next LPL season.

If you’re tracking odds and match markets, this is also the kind of high-profile bo5 that most major Trustly betting esport sites will list early because it’s a clean, headline LPL matchup, which will commence on Friday, January 2, 2026 — 17:00 China Standard Time (CST, local time) at Xi’an Qujiang Esports Center in Xi’an, the capital of the Chinese province of Shaanxi.

Meeting statistics

Current form and & playstyle: Invictus Gaming

Invictus Gaming arrive with momentum and a “prove-it” edge. They advanced through the second group stage at 3–1, then made a statement in the quarters by beating Top Esports 3–1 — notable because TES skipped groups and came in “fresh,” yet iG still won the four-game series.

Stylistically, this Demacia Cup run has looked like classic Invictus Gaming: they’re happiest when the game gets messy—scrap-heavy mid-games, proactive skirmishes, and confidence to contest fights rather than waiting for perfect setups. The fact that they handled a big-name opponent in a bo5 suggests their read on the patch/drafts is already coherent, and they’re comfortable playing at pace.

Current form & playstyle: LNG Esports 

LNG Esports have had a different kind of surge: steadier growth through the event and a clear “systems-first” feel. They topped their group at 3–1, then survived the most chaotic quarterfinal of the bracket, edging Oh My God 3–2.

The team looks revived and more competitive than their 2025 form, with jungler Kim “Croco” Dong-beom positioned as the “heartbeat/metronome” of the squad (and racking up MVPs). In practice, that usually translates into LNG being more comfortable playing structured early games—prioritizing controllable tempo through jungle-pathing, objective setups, and coordinated teamfights—then letting their carries scale into decisive 5v5s. The OMG series also hints that they can absorb volatility without fully losing their plan, which matters a lot in a bo5.

Head-to-head

Historically, this matchup is dead even on series count: across 14 recorded meetings, it’s 7–7, while LNG hold a map-score edge (12–16) in the same dataset.

Match analytics

This reads like a close Bo5: iG’s current tournament momentum (3–1 in groups + 3–1 over TES) versus LNG’s improved cohesion and “Croco”-driven tempo (3–1 in groups + 3–2 over OMG).

Our pick is Invictus Gaming to win 3–2 because, even if LNG start hot, iG have shown they can adjust across games in this bracket.

Tip: Correct Score, 3:2 at 4.40 odds on Stake.