League of Legends Champions Korea enters its
Grand Finals weekend starting September 12. This article highlights five key storylines to watch as the long, competitive season culminates over two days at KSPO Dome in Seoul.
1. KSPO Dome, Historic Stage for LCK
Formerly known as the Olympic Gymnastics Arena,
KSPO Dome has hosted historic LCK matchups. In 2014, the venue welcomed
League of Legends World Championship Semifinals, which featured the first and only sister-team clash between
Samsung White and
Samsung Blue.
The arena also hosted the 2016 LCK Spring Finals between
SK Telecom T1 and the
ROX Tigers. Those two rosters effectively meet again on September 12 under the names of
and
to contest a spot in the Grand Finals. The two franchises also faced off at KSPO Dome in the 2024 LCK Spring Lower Bracket Final, where T1 secured a 3-1 victory to advance to the Grand Finals and earn a qualification spot for the Mid-Season Invitational.
2. Goals of the Lower Bracket Finalists
If Hanwha Life Esports defeats T1, the team will face
in the Finals for the third consecutive time. Lifting trophies every year since its 2024 Summer title, HLE reloaded its roster following the military enlistment of Han '
' Wang-ho and the departure of Park '
' Do-hyeon to the LPL. The organization signed Seo '
' Jin-hyeok for his LCK debut alongside 2025 World Championship Finals MVP Lee '
' Min-hyeong, striving to sustain the franchise's golden era after securing
its first international title at the 2026 Mid-Season Invitational.
Meanwhile, T1, having not lifted a domestic trophy since the 2022 Spring Split, aims to end a four-year drought. A victory over Hanwha Life Esports would mark the 17th LCK Finals appearance for Lee '
' Sang-hyeok. Having filled the vacancy left by Gumayusi with Kim '
' Su-hwan, T1 now faces its former AD carry, who contributed to the team's three consecutive World Championship titles, as an opponent.
The two teams previously clashed in Bo5 series this year at the Road to MSI and in Round 2 of the LCK Playoffs, with Hanwha Life Esports emerging victorious on both matches.
3. Domestic Dominance, Gen.G's Reign Over the Local Scene
Gen.G, already waiting in the Grand Finals, will secure its seventh LCK title with a victory. Since Jeong '
' Ji-hoon joined the roster in 2022, the team has reached the Grand Finals in every single LCK split, claiming the championship every time with the exception of two runner-up finishes in the 2022 Spring Split and the 2024 Summer Split.
Starting the year with an unchanged lineup, Gen.G now has the opportunity to claim back-to-back domestic league titles with the exact same roster following the integration of the LCK into a single unified season format.
4. Rulebook Update to Performance Criteria, and the Stakes of this Final
On September 8, the LCK updated several old rules and changed the standards for outstanding players. Because of this, many people are watching to see which players with long-term contracts will meet the old standards and receive benefits from the Sporting Financial Regulations. Under the new rules, only two players per team can receive benefits. However, if players meet the old standards during their current contracts, teams can receive salary cap discounts without any limits. This can have a big effect on the coming offseason.
The players who need an LCK victory to meet the old standards are Mun '
' Hyeon-jun, Ryu '
' Min-seok, and Lee 'Gumayusi' Min-hyeong. Meanwhile, according to the
Global Contract Database, the contracts of Kim '
' Ki-in and Choi '
' Woo-je expire this year, which means they would follow the new rules for discounts.
5. National TV Broadcast for Two Consecutive Years, and Until Next Year
South Korea, known as a leader in esports, broadcasted the LCK Finals live on national television last year for the first time in esports history.
The partnership with MBC, the national broadcaster, will continue until 2027. The network also announced special programs for both existing esports fans and new viewers who are watching League of Legends for the first time.
