The
LCK will make its grand return after the
Mid-Season Invitational and the
League of Legends tournament of the Esports World Cup for its
Rounds 3ā5 phase. This last phase will start on Wednesday, July 23, as announced by the league of Tuesday. Matches will follow the usual schedule, with the first best-of-three kicking off at 5 PM KST and the second around 7 PM. The opening day of Rounds 3ā5 will see Dplus KIA take on OKSavingsBank BRION, followed by a high-stakes clash between
Gen.G and
Hanwha Life Esports. Just like in Rounds 1ā2, the Korean league will continue with its Wednesday-to-Sunday weekly format.
For the format, the ten LCK teams have been split into two groups based on their standings from Rounds 1ā2. The top fiveāGen.G, HLE, T1, Nongshim RedForce, and KT Rolsterāmake up the Legend Group, while the remaining fiveāDplus KIA, BNK FEARX, BRION, DRX, and DN Freecsāform the Rise Group. One important note: teams keep their records from the previous rounds, so thereās no resetāGen.G stays at 17ā1, T1 at 11ā7, and the Freecs at 1ā17. Teams will compete in a triple round-robin, with all matches played in best-of-three.
A packed schedule
At the end of this phase, the top four teams from the Legend Group will qualify directly for the Season Playoffs. The bottom team from the Legend Group and the top three from the Rise Group will head to the Play-In Stage, while the two bottom teams overall will be eliminated. The Play-In will be a best-of-five double-elimination bracket, with two teams advancing to the Playoffs. The Playoffs will feature six teams in a double elimination format, with Seeds 1 and 2 starting in Round 2. This final bracket will not only crown the 2025 LCK champion but also determine Koreaās three representatives at
Worlds 2025 in Chinaāa number that could rise to four if Gen.G or T1 reaches the MSI final.
All matchdays of LCK Rounds 3ā5 will feature two best-of-threesāone from each groupāand run from July 23 to August 31. The Play-In stage will follow from September 3 to 7, with the Playoffs taking place from September 10 to the grand final on September 28. Itās a packed calendar for teams like T1 and Gen.G: with MSI in Canada ending on July 12, theyāll head to Riyadh for the Esports World Cup from July 16 to 20, before returning to Seoul for the LCKās restart on July 23. For any roster making deep runs at both international events, the schedule will leave little room to breathe.
Header Photo Credit: LCK/Riot Games