The second day of the LCK kicked off with
Nongshim RedForce securing a 2-0 victory over
OKSavingsBank BRION. Meanwhile, in their opening match,
Dplus KIA struggled far more than expected against
BNK FearX, the last-place team from the LCK Cup, nearly facing defeat. However, they ultimately prevailed, thanks in large part to an outstanding performance from Choi "
Lucid" Yong-hyeok, who was named MVP of the series. Similarly, Kim "
GIDEON" Min-seong earned the MVP title for the first series of the day, highlighting the dominance of junglers and once again reinforcing the crucial impact of the role.
A team to challenge the Big 4
NS proved it in the LCK Cup, notably by taking down
KT Rolster, and they’re picking up right where they left off. They made quick work of OK BRION, showing once again that Gwen remains a highly contested and powerful pick in the LCK.
Hwang "Kingen" Seong-hoon delivered a strong performance on the champion in Game 1, while
Son "Lehends" Si-woo continues to demonstrate that Elise support is a reliable pick for his team, and they know exactly how to make it work.
In Game 2, NS pulled out the Nocturne-Orianna combo and dictated the pace of the game with it. Meanwhile, Naafiri suffered yet another loss, struggling to make an impact despite Choi "
Ellim" El-lim’s early lead. A fun moment in this BO3—Byeon "
Hype" Jeong-hyeon pulled off a stylish escape by hopping onto the Rift Herald after a fight, surviving with less than 70 HP.
Winning through hardship
Dplus KIA secured their first BO3 win of the split, but not without struggle and sweat. Game 1 went smoothly for them, and with the draft masterclass they pulled off, it could hardly have gone any other way. Rookie Jeon "
Siwoo" Si-woo was on Rumble, while Lucid had an outstanding performance on Ivern, participating in 18 of his team’s 20 kills without dying once.
Game 2, however, told a completely different story. Dplus KIA’s botlane revived a once-popular combo—the fasting Senna paired with a tank support—but it didn’t work out for them. Meanwhile, Nam "
Diable" Dae-geun’s Kalista ran rampant, finishing the game with a dominant 14/1/5 scoreline and securing the equalizer for FearX, reigniting hope for his team.
And that hope turned into a real fight. Game 3 was fiercely contested, with the gold graph swinging back and forth between the two teams. By the 30-minute mark, DK were in dire straits after losing four players. BFX started the Atakan and were just inches away from securing it when Lucid’s Naafiri flashed in and stole the objective, turning the tide. With the buff in hand, DK managed to regroup, take down their opponents, and close out the series.
Header photo credit: LCK/Riot Games
