LCK Cup 2026: Format, Dates, Teams — Everything You Need to Know

The LCK Cup kicks off on January 14 with ten Korean teams divided into two groups. They will face off in a cross-group format, and the two finalists of this edition will compete in the First Stand.

The LCK Cup will kick off on January 14 with two BO3s: KT Rolster vs. DN SOOPers and Dplus KIA vs. HANJIN BRION. Credit: LCK

Each win is worth one point during the group stage in BO3 matches, except for the final week, where BO5s will be played and each win will be worth two points

The LCK Cup will begin on January 14 and will feature the ten Korean teams competing in a group stage where teams are split into two groups, each playing against all teams from the opposite group once. The Play-In stage will take place from February 6 to 8, while the playoffs will start on February 12 and conclude with the final on March 1.

This time, the LCK Cup will send two teams to the First Stand—the winner and the runner-up—unlike in 2025, when only Hanwha Life Esports qualified after defeating Gen.G in the final. However, the LCK Cup will still have no impact on the LCK season, and only the year-end playoffs can crown the Korean champion.

Format and Schedule

The format is almost unchanged from last year. The ten teams are divided into two groups of five. Teams play against all teams from the opposite group once. The group with the most points will be named the "Winners Group," while the other becomes the "Losers Group."

The top two teams from the Winners Group—and here’s the only difference from last year—the top team from the Losers Group advance to the Playoffs, while the bottom three teams from the Winners Group and the 2nd to 4th place teams from the Losers Group advance to the Play-In. The bottom team from the Losers Group is eliminated.

Group Baron: Gen.G, T1, Nongshim RedForce, DN SOOPers, HANJIN BRION.
Group Elder: Hanwha Life Esports, Dplus KIA, KT Rolster, BNK FearX, DRX.

Roster Changes

Several teams made roster changes, except for Gen.G, who didn’t make any transfers. BNK FearX also retained the same names and promoted Yoo "Daystar" Ji-myeong into a six-man roster. For the rest: T1 have a new AD Carry in Kim "Peyz" Su-hwan, while HLE picked up Lee "Gumayusi" Min-hyeong and also brought back Seo "Kanavi" Jin-hyeok to Korea.

Dplus KIA kept the same top-side and built a young botlane with Shin "Smash" Geum-jae and Oh "Career" Hyeong-seok. Similarly, KT Rolster, after their Worlds final, kept the same top-side and brought back Kim "Aiming" Ha-ram to play botlane with Oh "Pollu" Dong-gyu and Jang "Ghost" Yong-jun, who role-swaps to support.

The DN Freecs rebranded as DN SOOPers, with their biggest offseason move being the recruitment of the Worlds finalist botlane, Seo "deokdam" Dae-gil and Jeong "Peter" Yoon-su. Another rebrand saw BRION become HANJIN BRION, notably acquiring veteran Park "Teddy" Jin-seong.

Finally, Nongshim RedForce picked up Lee "Scout" Ye-chan, returning to South Korea after years in China, supported by promising LCK jungler Bae "Sponge" Young-jun. Ha "Vincenzo" Seung-min, T1’s jungler in the LCK CL, moved to DRX to take his place.

For more informations about roster changes ahead of the LEC 2026 season, check out our Transfers Hub and Offseason Live Tracker.

Where to watch LPL Split 1 2026

The LCK is one of the most-watched leagues in the world. The league can be watched in English on the official LCK broadcast, as well as in Korean. In France, the league is broadcast by OTP. The league is also available to follow across its various social media platforms.