It has been seven years since
last missed the
League of Legends Champions Korea (
LCK) playoffs, and that streak isn't going to end in 2026. The Tigers' victory over
on Wednesday allows the organization to further solidify its status as the favorite, with a guaranteed top-two finish in the regular season.
This victory therefore ensures that Gen.G qualifies directly for the second round of the league’s playoffs, but what would be even more rewarding would be finishing first in the Legend group, which would give them the opportunity to choose their opponent from among the two winners of Round 1.
One more slot to go
had already secured a spot in the playoffs, and thus in Worlds, thanks to their victory at the
Mid-Season Invitational. Today,
T1 also secured a spot in the playoffs, meaning that KT and
Dplus KIA can no longer push them down to fifth place in the group, only to fourth.
The final playoff spot decided during the regular season will therefore come down to a showdown between KT and DK, though Heo “
” Su and his teammates hold a significant advantage: they’re already ahead in the standings with one more win, and they have two games left to play (against HLE on Thursday and Gen.G on Saturday), compared to just one game for KT, a Telecom War on Friday.
Will Gen.G pull off a back-to-back?
Since 2025, the LCK has had only a single split, making a victory at the end of the year far more prestigious than the three-split format used in other regions. Last year, Gen.G were the heavy favorites to win the championship, and they did not disappoint.
Despite their loss to KT in the upper bracket, they were still in a strong enough position to bounce back, as their skill level was so far above the rest, only HLE seemed capable of standing in their way, but they were unable to do so. This year, the league is even more competitive, with the top four teams much more evenly matched. Gen.G will try to defend their title, but surprises could happen, just like on the road to MSI.
