The second Play-In series on Thursday, September 4, featured a big clash between Dplus KIA, first in the Rise group, and their runners-up BNK FearX. The teams finished the 2025 regular season with records of 19-11 and 14-16, respectively. The series went the full five games, with FearX ultimately prevailing thanks to the performance of series MVP Song "Clear" Hyeon-min, as well as LCK Rookie of the Year, 17-year-old AD Carry Nam "Diable" Dae-geun.

The LCK Play-In has already delivered two thrilling best-of-five series that both went the distance: first Nongshim RedForce against OKSavingsBank BRION, and then FearX versus DK. DK opened strong with a clean stomp in Game 1, closing in 30 minutes through Kim "Aiming" Ha-ram’s Corki. But FearX struck back immediately—Lee "VicLa" Dae-kwang showcased the first Morgana midlane in the LCK in over five years, while Song "Clear" Hyeon-min’s Aatrox dominated toplane to even the score. The momentum carried into Game 3 as rookie Diable’s Lucian, paired with Kim "Kellin" Hyeong-gyu’s Braum, delivered the shortest game of the series and gave FearX their first match point.

A strong response from DK

DK refused to go quietly, unleashing Heo "ShowMaker" Su on Viego—the champion’s first LCK appearance on the midlane in more than four years. After a tense 38-minute battle, Jeon "Siwoo" Si-woo pulled off a last-second defense before teleporting across the map to steal the win and force a decisive Game 5. Yet the final game proved one-sided, with Diable’s Ezreal leading the damage charts and carrying BNK FearX across the finish line to close out the series.

The next two LCK Play-In series are set: in the Upper Bracket, Nongshim and FearX will clash on September 5 for a playoff spot, while September 6 will feature the elimination match between BRION and DK. A final best-of-five will then be played on September 7 between the two remaining teams to determine who claims the last playoff berth, with the main stage beginning on September 10. Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok and T1, as the third seed, will select one of the Play-In qualifiers as their opponent, while KT Rolster will face the other.