LoL - LCK: KT Rolster stun Gen.G to qualify for Worlds

KT Rolster secured their spot in the LCK 2025 Upper Bracket Final and Worlds main stage after a hard-fought five game best-of-five against Gen.G on Saturday, September 13. In a thrilling five-game showdown, KT emerged victorious, sending Gen.G to Lower Bracket Round 3 thanks to their first-place finish in the regular season ahead of T1 and Hanwha Life Esports. Regardless of tomorrow’s matchup between T1 and HLE, the loser will drop directly into Lower Bracket Round 2.

KT scaled perfectly over this Summer Split. In the nine matches played during LCK Rounds 3–5 in the Legend group against the top three—Gen.G, T1, and HLE—KT managed to win only one best-of-three, against T1, which was enough to secure fourth place, thanks also to three wins over Nongshim RedForce, a team that was weaker on paper. At the start of playoffs, they comfortably defeated BNK FearX 3-1, and were then logically chosen by Gen.G, who had the option between KT and T1. But this poisoned gift ultimately sent KT to the Worlds main stage and Gen.G to the lower bracket.

Moon "Cuzz" Woo-chan and Gwak "Bdd" Bo-seong have done it—they are heading to Worlds together. The mid-jungle duo first played together in 2017 at Longzhu Gaming, winning the LCK twice and even reaching the 2018 MSI final, which they lost to Royal Never Give Up.

The two went their separate ways for a few years before reuniting in 2023 at KT, where they nearly perfected the split with a 17-1 record. They were separated a second time in 2024, with Cuzz joining Kwangdong Freecs for a year before quickly returning to KT. Despite a challenging season surrounded by new teammates, they made it happen—they are heading to Worlds together in China.

Gen.G fell for the second time this year, the first being against Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok’s T1 after their return from the EWC, where they set the record for most consecutive BO wins. Game 1 began with a strong invade from Cuzz, leaving Kim "Canyon" Geon-bu behind. KT snowballed across the map, with their mid-jungle duo perfectly synchronized. Gen.G’s Smolder comeback almost threatened them, but a questionable Baron attempt from Gen.G ended with a 1 HP smite steal by Cuzz, who was easily the MVP and opened the score for his team.

Game 2 started better for Gen.G, but KT held firm. Gen.G secured the objectives, but the fights favored KT, including an ace. KT took Baron, though Bdd died shortly after. Toplaner Kim "Kiin" Gi-in had a precise performance on Gwen, allowing Gen.G to equalize. Game 3 saw an early advantage for KT, with two kills for Seo "deokdam" Dae-gil and even an Herald steal. On the other side, Jeong "Chovy" Ji-hoon’s Galio was impactful, while Kiin shone on Camille, helping Gen.G claim their first match point.

In Game 4, the draft gave Canyon a Qiyana and Bdd a Zoe. KT’s midlaner excelled on Zoe. And as he was drafted with a Ziggs, they maintained relentless poke pressure. Joo "Duro" Min-kyu landed a beautiful Blitzcrank grab on Zoe, but KT ultimately won the team fight and secured the Soul shortly after. Bdd continued to shine, and KT’s poke with Ziggs and Zoe proved devastating. At Elder, KT won the fight but Canyon stayed alive, keeping pressure. Cuzz eventually secured Elder and finished the game, sending the series to a decisive Game 5.

For the final game, Bdd played Lissandra and Canyon Lee Sin. The game started extremely slow, with first blood only at the 18th minute, after the first tower fell in the botlane. KT then initiated a huge fight, taking four kills to one and opening the match. Barons and Elders were traded between the teams; KT had double the kills, but Gen.G led in gold.

In a final epic Elder fight, KT emerged victorious and secured their spot at Worlds. The KT players’ celebration was emotional—they cheered, cried, and expressed immense joy for this achievement. Their coaching staff received heartfelt thanks from Cuzz in his post-match interview, who had also claimed the MVP of the BO.

With this surprise victory from KT, everything is still up for grabs in the LCK playoffs. Although Gen.G are already qualified for Worlds Play-Ins, they missed a golden opportunity—not only to secure a spot in the main stage, but also to lock in T1 and HLE in the playoffs, as a Gen.G win would have done just that.

The current scenario is as follows: tomorrow, T1 and HLE will face off in a best-of series, with the winner qualifying for Worlds and joining KT in the Upper Bracket Final. The loser will drop to Lower Bracket Round 2 to face the winner of the BNK FearX vs. Dplus KIA matchup, and then go on to face Gen.G in the Lower Bracket Semifinals. The Lower Bracket path will be long and grueling for anyone who goes there, making the road to the sole LCK title tough and exhausting for all six teams.