LoL: T1 and Gen.G narrowly avoided upsets against Nongshim and FEARX

The LCK returned for Week 3 of the Round 1–2 stage, kicking off with T1 facing Nongshim RedForce. The reigning world champions came out on top, but not without difficulty — NS again proved their strong early-season form. With this win, T1 have caught up to Nongshim in the standings, both now sitting at 3–2. The second series of the day saw Gen.G deliver an up-and-down performance against a well-prepared BNK FEARX. Despite some shaky moments, the Tigers closed things out comfortably, ending Game 3 with a flawless performance — they didn't concede a single kill.

The first game of the series was heavily focused on the botside, with T1 dominating the early 20 minutes. However, NS managed to turn things around, building a lead of over 3,000 gold — largely thanks to Hwang "Kingen" Seong-hoon, who once again lived up to his reputation. But a Baron fight around the 33-minute mark, initially secured by NS, ended in disaster. The fight turned the tides back in T1's favor, with Ryu "Keria" Min-seok playing a key role on Lulu — Smash was nigh-unkillable.

Game 2 followed a similar pattern, but this time, NS didn’t throw their lead. They played as one around Jung "Jiwoo" Ji-woo, who led the charge to even up the series. In the final game, T1 went for a reset-heavy draft with Viego and Jinx, and executed it cleanly. It was a textbook snowball from Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok and his teammates, who secured their third win of the split. Faker was named the Most Valuable Player of the series, notably thanks to a strong Viktor performance in Game 3. With this result, they move up in the standings and now sit tied for fourth with NS.

FEARX gave Gen.G a real scare—especially in Game 1, which Jeon "Raptor" Eo-jin and his teammates completely took over. All five FEARX players stepped up, with 17-year-old rookie Nam "Diable" Dae-geun impressing with both his aggression and composure. The team looked unrecognizable compared to their shaky performance at the LCK Cup, where they lost all five of their best-of-threes. But Gen.G don’t plan on losing any time soon, and their response was ruthless. Game 2 was much closer, with Jeong "Chovy" Ji-hoon’s Viktor eventually scaling into the damage needed to put down FEARX. Joo "Duro" Min-kyu also stood out on Renata Glasc, clutching key fights by reviving teammates on the brink.

Game 3, however, was a masterclass—arguably the most dominant performance of the split so far. Gen.G closed it out with a flawless 20-0 scoreline, conceding no towers, securing every drake, and giving up only a single grub. Chovy was once again untouchable, this time on Ryze, while Park "Ruler" Jae-hyuk delivered surgical Jhin ultimates. With this win, Gen.G maintain their unbeaten record and sit alone at the top of the LCK standings. Chovy earned a well-deserved MVP for his performance, continuing to prove that Gen.G are right at home in their favorite competition.

Tomorrow, DRX will look to secure their second win of the split against Hanwha Life Esports — though it’ll be far from easy. Afterwards, KT Rolster will take on OKSavingsBank Brion in a lower-table clash that could prove crucial, as both teams are direct rivals in the fight for mid-table positioning.