After a busy two-month offseason, the
LCK season is about to resume with the return of the LCK Cup. While this offseason was marked by the unexpected AD Carry change at T1, many other roster moves also brought new players into the LCK.
Sheep Esports presents five players making their debut in Korea’s premier league this season.
1. Kanavi (Hanwha Life Esports)
As surprising as it may seem, Seo "
Kanavi" Jin-hyeok had never played in the LCK since the beginning of his career. The Korean jungler will finally return home
to compete in the 2026 season with Hanwha Life Esports. After several years in the LPL where he won a total of five splits, Kanavi has decided to take a new direction and strengthen HLE’s superteam, replacing Han "
Peanut" Wang-ho, who recently retired to compelte his mandatory military service.
2. Career (Dplus Kia)
Following the departure of Cho "
BeryL" Geon-hee from
Dplus Kia, the former 2020 World Champion roster turned toward youth to fill the position. After winning the LCK CL with
FEARX Youth,
Oh "Career" Hyung-suk is making his debut in one of the most prestigious organizations in the league. Known for his unique playstyle and unconventional champion pool, he already seems to have adapted well to DK’s new environment alongside four young players surrounding Heo “
ShowMaker” Su.
3. Vincenzo (DRX)
Like Career, Ha "
Vincenzo" Seung-min found success in the LCK CL this year with
T1 Esports Academy, winning the Asia Masters. He was also named Regular Round MVP in the
LCK CL.
Vincenzo will make his LCK debut with DRX, an organization that has struggled in recent years. He has already played a few matches with the team at the KeSPA Cup and may share playtime with Kim "
Willer" Jeong-hyeon, who also joined DRX this offseason.
4. Namgung (HANJIN BRION)
After three years in Gen.G Esports’ academy in the LCK CL, Namgung "Namgung" Seong-hoon will also step into Korea’s top league with HANJIN BRION. The team has completely rebuilt its roster for 2026 in hopes of a fresh start. Namgung will begin his LCK journey alongside a more experienced AD Carry: Park "Teddy" Jin-seong.
5. Daystar (FEARX)
FEARX Youth’s midlaner made one appearance in the team last season, he is also expected to make his real LCK debut this year. Although the organization has announced his promotion to the main roster, it remains unclear whether he or Lee "VicLa" Dae-kwang will officially secure the starting position. However, Daystar should have the opportunity to prove himself against some of the best players in the region after lifting the LCK CL trophy last season.
A few special cases are also worth mentioning: Sin "Smash" Guem-jae and Shin "Casting" Min-jae. Both players appeared in a handful of matches last season, so they are not technically newcomers to the league, but 2026 should mark their first full year as starters. Smash joined Dplus Kia and has already shown promising performances at the KeSPA Cup, while Casting — who never truly had the chance to shine at KT Rolster — has now joined BRION.
