The Round 1 of the
LCK season is nearing its conclusion. After eight matches of competition, teams continue to battle for qualification to the
Road to MSI and a place in the Legends Group for Rounds 3–4. This week, the favorites largely held their ground and left little room for upsets, though that did not prevent moments of spectacle both in-game and beyond.
Before the return fixtures of the regular season begin next week, Sheep Esports takes a look back at the key moments from this fourth week of competition.
One-sided matchups
The week’s fixtures promised very little suspense, with most matchups pitting top-table teams against those at the bottom of the standings—and the expected outcomes largely prevailed. Of the ten matches played this week, only one, between
and
, went to three games. All others ended in 2–0 scorelines, further widening the gap between the top six teams and the bottom four.
T1 deliver during the show
The weekend was marked by the relocation of several matches as part of the
T1 Homeground event. The three-time World Champions hosted two matches in their arena on Saturday and Sunday, much to the delight of the fans in attendance. T1 secured two 2–0 victories, though not without resistance. In particular, it took 48 minutes and nine deaths for
, his highest total in a single game, to overcome
in the opening match. The team appeared more dominant the following day, defeating
to secure two wins in front of their home crowd.
KT and HLE on top ahead of the clash
The two most in-form teams since the start of the season continued their strong run.
remain unbeaten in the LCK, adding two more victories this week against
and BFX, both unable to match the consistency of the 2025 World Championship finalists. Hanwha Life Esports were tested by Nongshim but ultimately secured the win, thanks in part to the strong performances of support
, who earned two MVP awards across the week. The highly anticipated clash between the two teams is set for Wednesday and stands out as a must-watch encounter for fans of the Korean league.
Illaoi viable?
A champion notorious for dominating lower-ranked games in
League of Legends may soon make a name for itself in the LCK. The award for the most unconventional pick of the week goes to
’s toplaner Jeon “
Siwoo” Si-woo for his Illaoi pick. Often compared to Yorick for her effectiveness in split pushing and her difficulty to take down in side lanes, the champion proved difficult to contain for
and even turned a teamfight in her team’s favor, enabling DK to secure the victory. This pick has reignited discussions among fans, many of whom encourage teams to step outside their comfort zones, particularly in the toplane, where players tend to favor versatile champions effective in a wide range of situations, such as Gnar or Renekton.
#Keria2029
In addition to celebrating two victories this week, T1 fans were met with further good news through the contract extension of support player
. After delivering standout performances and earning two MVP titles during the week, his team announced that he had extended his contract until 2029—the same year as Faker. Having been part of the organization since 2021, Keria has already established himself as one of the most iconic figures within the most decorated organization in
League of Legends history, and he now looks set to continue building his legacy with T1.
