Last Sunday, in a post on his X account, Gen.G CEO Arnold “
Arnold” Hur shared his view on the
LCK Cup Finals, which will take place in Hong Kong from February 28 to March 1 at the Kai Tak Arena: “
I think it’s great that we’re getting more opportunities to play games internationally, especially as the fanbase continues to grow globally.”
On a more critical note, Arnold also addressed the “Korean fan experience,” which he believes is not at its best right now. He pointed to rising ticket prices and the increasing difficulty of securing tickets for the biggest matches, the disappearance of the Spring Final with the move to a year-long split, and the absence of domestic prize pools.
A Call For More Events
To address these issues, which have left the Korean fanbase feeling overlooked, Arnold proposed the introduction of a new competitive model that “creates more events with more seating in Korea, even if that means lowering production requirements to make it possible.” This would make international LCK events a better experience for everyone, rather than an experience taken away from Korean fans.
In 2025, some teams such as T1 or Gen.G have organized Home Grounds, events which, according to Arnold, “cost too much to incentivize teams to want to run them.” One possible solution would be to lower production quality “in order to make it feasible,” he argues.
In Europe, the model is somewhat similar with the Roadshows recently organized by Riot Games in Madrid and Évry. These are events that require massive resources, costs that Riot Games can afford to absorb, whereas the financial burden is very different for teams organizing their own Homegrounds.
First International LCK Event
It will mark the first time the LCK is held overseas, with official league matches played outside Korea. While roadshows within the country were common last year, featuring games in Busan,
T1’s Home Ground in Incheon, or Gen.G’s event in Suwon, teams had never previously competed in official LCK matches beyond Korea’s borders.
The LCK Cup is currently in its Play-In stage following a group phase that saw
Hanwha Life Esports eliminated. The next matches are scheduled for Friday, February 6, featuring two best-of-three elimination series: DRX vs HANJIN BRION and KT Rolster vs DN SOOPers. The competition will continue through the playoffs, where T1, Gen.G, and BNK FearX are waiting, with the final weekend of the tournament set for February 28 and March 1.
