DRX brings LCK to Vietnam with 2026 HOMEFRONT Roadshow

Following the announcement that the LCK will hold its first-ever offline event outside of Korea, DRX has emerged as the latest organization to take part in the league’s roadtrip program. For the first time in its history, the team is set to bring the LCK to the Vietnam Exposition Center in Hanoi with a newly announced event, the 2026 DRX HOMEFRONT, scheduled to take place during Rounds 1–2 of the 2026 LCK season from May 8–10.

Korean investment in Vietnam’s esports market is far from new. The region has experienced significant growth in both viewership and overall esports engagement in recent years. In 2025, the LCK reported a 49% year-over-year increase in overseas Average Minute Audience (AMA), rising from 264,000 to 394,000 viewers. Notably, Vietnam’s share of overseas viewership grew from 18.4% to 20%, marking a 62% increase in Vietnamese AMA year-over-year.

This sustained growth has drawn the attention of Korean organizations for nearly a decade. As early as 2018, Hanwha Life Esports hosted events such as Clash of Superstars and HLF Global Challenge Vietnam. More recently, in December 2025, T1 traveled to Vietnam for an event titled The Promise Fulfilled, organized in collaboration with VPBank shortly after securing their sixth World Championship title. Notably, the event was held at the Vietnam Exposition Center in Hanoi — the very same venue that DRX is now set to headline with its 2026 HOMEFRONT event.

Other organizations have followed similar paths. Gen.G partnered with LG for its Life’s Good Tournament, BRION organized tournaments aimed at supporting Vietnamese amateur development, and the Korea Travel Festa 2024 featured fan-favorite players from KT Rolster and Dplus KIA, including Deft (Kim Hyuk-kyu), ShowMaker (Heo Su), BeryL (Cho Geon-hee), and more. On the other side of the pond, Riot is also increasing investments in Vietnam, with the VCT Pacific Stage 1 Finals set to be hosted in Ho Chi Minh City, around the same time DRX will host their own LCK-tied event.

Popularized last year, road shows have been gaining increasing prominence not only within the LCK but across leagues worldwide. In 2025 alone, two major events were hosted: the collaborative Gen.G Homestand & KT Homecoming in Gyeonggi, followed later by T1 Home Ground 2025 in Incheon. Unsurprisingly, T1 announced on January 28th that it would return with its Home Ground event in 2026, this time across two separate locations: the first from April 24 to 26 at the Inspire Arena in Incheon, and the second from August 14 to 16 at Seoul’s iconic Olympic venue, the KSPO Dome.

In this context, DRX has been steadily expanding its own efforts in Vietnam, notably through the development of LazyFeel (Trần Bảo Minh)—the first Vietnamese player to reach rank 1 Challenger on the Korean server and to make his LCK debut last year under DRX’s banner. After struggling since its surprise run at Worlds 2022, where the team secured its first Worlds title by defeating T1, DRX is now aiming to grow its fanbase and market presence through strategic investments, seeking to win over this growing market and potentially climb back up the LCK hierarchy.

The 2026 DRX HOMEFRONT in Hanoi is the latest example of the LCK’s growing presence outside of Korea. Before DRX takes the stage in Vietnam, the league will hold the LCK Cup Finals in Hong Kong — another milestone in bringing high-level competition to international audiences. These events highlight an ongoing strategy to expand the league’s footprint and connect with fans in key overseas markets.

For organizations like DRX and T1, this wave of international investment creates opportunities to grow fanbases, showcase emerging talent such as LazyFeel, and strengthen their global brands. By continuing to bring the LCK directly to audiences abroad, Korean esports is not only capitalizing on growing interest in regions like Vietnam, but also setting the stage for a more internationally connected league in the years to come.