LoL: Start of the LCK Round 1-2, stakes, format, and roster changes

For the 2025 season, the LCK underwent a major change. The winner of each split is no longer crowned the League of Legends Champions Korea champion. This prestigious title is now awarded to just one team per year, at the end of the year, right before the World Championship. The Winter Split, won by Hanwha Life Esports, qualified them for First Stand, which they went on to win convincingly, thus avoiding the need for the LCK's second seed to go through the MSI Play-In.

Winning the final of the Road to MSI will not provide any additional benefits for the winning team compared to the losing team, other than securing the first-place seed for the LCK at MSI, which will take place in Vancouver, Canada from June 27 to July 12. Both finalists will also qualify for the Esports World Cup, which will begin just four days after the MSI final, from July 16 to 20 in Saudi Arabia. A top-two finish in the "Road to MSI" would provide these teams with crucial international experience, preparing them for Round 3-5 and the end-of-season playoffs, where the sole LCK champion for 2025 will be determined.

HLE remains a strong favorite for this Spring Split, which will be divided into two phases. First, the Round 1-2, where all ten LCK teams will compete in a BO3 Double Round Robin format, sending six teams to the second phase, the Road to MSI. The playoffs will follow a double elimination King of the Hill bracket, where the Top 2 teams start in the Upper Bracket, and the other four teams will battle for a chance to challenge them.

This split will have a major impact on Summer. The top five teams from Round 1-2 will enter the Legend Group, securing four direct playoff spots and one Play-In slot. The remaining five teams will be placed in the Rise Group, which only sends three teams to the Season Play-In, while the bottom two are eliminated.

There haven't been many roster changes in the LCK between Winter and Spring. As announced by Joe Marsh and T1, Lee "Gumayusi" Min-hyeong returns to the main roster under unclear circumstances. OKSavingsBank BRION replaced their promising jungler, Ham "HamBak" Yoo-jin, by bringing back Kim "Croco" Dong-beom from the LPL after his Winter break. Meanwhile, KT Rolster’s support Han "Way" Gil was spotted in LCK CL, suggesting a demotion, with Jeong "Peter" Yoon-su likely taking his place in the main roster.

The race for MSI and EWC qualification will undoubtedly be between the LCK’s big four: HLE, T1, Gen.G, and Dplus KIA. Hanwha Life enters as a clear favorite, looking to solidify the dynasty they began in Summer 2024. T1, despite their international dominance, haven’t ruled the LCK for several splits, and Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok will be eager to reclaim the domestic throne. Meanwhile, Gen.G have struggled with roster adjustments, as Park "Ruler" Jae-hyuk adapts to his return from the LPL and Joo "Duro" Min-kyu steps up into a bigger role.

For DK, the LCK Cup was a major disappointment. They dominated the group stage but collapsed in the playoffs, suffering a brutal 3-0 loss to Gen.G in the lower bracket final. To stay in the race for international events, they'll need a strong showing in the Road to MSI. Fortunately, they have promising rookies in Jeon "Siwoo" Si-woo and Choi "Lucid" Yong-hyeok, backed by the experience of Heo "ShowMaker" Su, to help them bounce back.