T1 and Gen.G qualify for Worlds 2026

Three out of four League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) representatives for Worlds have now been determined. After Hanwha Life Esports, secured their spot on Tuesday thanks to a decisive 3-0 victory over in the Upper Bracket Round 2. This result also automatically qualifies T1 for Worlds by guaranteeing them at least a top-4 finish in these LCK playoffs.

Indeed, due to the LCK's bracket format, the two losers of UB Round 2 will not enter the lower bracket at the same stage, as the higher-seeded team after Rounds 3–4 gets to skip a round. T1 finished ahead of KT but behind Gen.G in the regular season. As a result, even if they lose to HLE tomorrow, T1 will have one fewer round to play and is guaranteed to finish in the top four.

Gen.G have now qualified for their seventh consecutive Worlds and the eighth in the organization’s history. At the tournament, they have reached the semifinals on four occasions without ever making it any further. Their victory over KT also means a spot in the Upper Bracket Final, a series that will determine the first finalist of this year’s LCK.

Since 2025, the LCK has done away with multiple splits and kept just one that runs throughout the entire year, with its finals taking place in September just before Worlds. This gives the competition an immense prestige compared to other regions, which still have three splits. Last year, Gen.G won this prestigious title, and they are now on their way to defending it and securing the back-to-back.

This Worlds qualification comes as no surprise given the players on this roster. Kim “Canyon” Geon-bu and Jeong “Chovy” Ji-hoon have now qualified for their eighth consecutive Worlds. They have been competing at the biggest tournament in League of Legends regularly for nearly a decade. Canyon won the title in 2020, while Chovy has never made it to a Worlds final. The team has dominated domestically, only to fall short at Worlds time and again despite entering as favourites. For Chovy in particular, the pressure to finally reach a final is bigger than ever. With the tournament approaching, plenty of Kick LoL streamers are already giving fans a closer look at how top contenders are preparing. Can Chovy finally lift the Worlds Champion trophy this year?

Things played out quite differently last year, as KT upset Gen.G in the same series. Interestingly, the second round of the upper bracket is identical to last year, with T1 therefore set to face HLE once again tomorrow. In 2025, it was Kim "Zeka" Geon-woo and his teammates who came out on top, forcing T1 to defeat Dplus in the lower bracket to secure a spot at Worlds.

The Lower Bracket will begin on Thursday with taking on DK. The winner will then face KT the day after. Gen.G will play the winner of HLE vs. T1 on Saturday, while Sunday will feature the Lower Bracket Round 3 series. Finally, the last two LCK series will be played on September 12 and 13, determining the champion who will qualify for Worlds as Korea’s No. 1 seed, the runner-up as the No. 2 seed, and the third seed.