The LPL ended its nearly two-year losing streak against
LCK teams in the opening series of First Stand 2026, where
Bilibili Gaming won against BNK FEARX. BLG, as the
LPL first seed, took on the LCK second seed in the first match of the tournament and finally closed out a series win that the region had been missing since Worlds 2024.
The match went back and forth across all five games, with BLG taking early control in some games while FEARX answered through strong teamfighting and key moments. In the end, BLG closed it out with better drafting and more control in the deciding game.
Since Worlds 2024, the results had consistently gone in favor of Korea, with multiple close series but the same outcome each time. Here are all the official LoL Esports circuit matches between LPL and LCK since Worlds 2024:
- BLG 2–3 T1 — Worlds 2024 Semifinal
- TES 0–3 HLE — First Stand 2025
- AL 2–3 GEN — MSI 2025
- BLG 0–3 T1 — MSI 2025
- AL 2–3 T1 — MSI 2025
- IG 1–3 T1 — Worlds 2025
- AL 2–3 T1 — Worlds 2025
- TES 0–3 T1 — Worlds 2025
Across these matches, LCK teams kept control of the rivalry, and T1 in particular remained the main obstacle for LPL teams, with the idea that they ‘never lose to LPL teams’ becoming a constant part of the discussion. Even when LPL teams pushed the series to five games, they were unable to close them out, which kept the streak going throughout 2025.
BLG still the only LPL team to win against LCK
The last time an LPL team defeated an LCK opponent, before the match at First Stand 2026, it was also Bilibili Gaming, but back at Worlds 2024, which leaves them as the only team from the region to achieve this in the past two years.
That series, remembered for the famous ‘double Galio ult’ moment, was played against Hanwha Life Esports, and while HLE started well, BLG quickly responded and took control of the match. The final games were close and could have gone either way, but BLG handled the key fights better and closed the series 3–1.
However, that win did not shift the pattern, as BLG later lost 2–3 to T1 in the Worlds 2024 semifinal, and the same trend continued throughout 2025, with repeated losses against LCK teams across First Stand, MSI, and Worlds. The results kept building the same storyline, especially with T1 continuing to win every series they played against LPL teams.
With this win over BNK FEARX at First Stand 2026, BLG once again broke that pattern, and while it is only the first match of the tournament, it is also the first time in a long time that an LPL team has been able to close out a full series against an LCK opponent.
