The LCK Cup 2026 will serve as a testing ground for one of the most closely watched innovations of
League of Legends: the new
“Coach Comms” system, which allows staff to speak directly to players during games. While the move is seen as a major step in competitive structure, most LCK coaches remain cautious and doubt it will radically change how matches play out.
A shared experiment with the LCP
Coach comms will not be exclusive to South-Korea: Riot has also chosen the Pacific league, the LCP, to pilot the feature, starting with Split 1 from January 16. The system will debut in the LCK Cup in January, before extending to the LCP regular season, but will not be used at international events in 2026. The experiment also appeared recently during the Demacia Cup in China.
In both leagues, teams can activate coach comms up to three times per game, for 45 seconds each, through approved equipment, without pausing the game. One designated coach, locked in before the game and limited to the team’s own vision, may speak to players, with no external communication allowed until the end of the match.
Between innovation and skepticism
Within the
LCK, the tone remains measured, as explained in Media Day held on Wednesday, January 7. Gen.G head coach Ryu "
Ryu" Sang-wook notes that the system “
will have some impact, but not a big one,” and admits he is “
still not sure” how to use it optimally to help his players. T1 coach Kim "
kkOma" Jeong-gyun adds that he does not expect coach comms “
to have a big impact on the games,” insisting it is “
only a test for now.”
Some coaches see more upside on the mental and broadcast side than on pure tactics. DN SOOPers coach Ju "oDin" Yeong-dal “always view[s] new attempts in a positive light” and believes the tool “could really help a lot when it comes to mental care,” while Nongshim RedForce’s Choi "DanDy" In-kyu feels it “adds one more fun element when you’re watching the game.”
Concerns remain, particularly about concentration. Hanwha Life Esports coach Yoon "Homme" Sung-young says he is “worried the players’ concentration might drop,” making this his main reservation. Others, like BNK FearX coach Park "Edo" Jun-seok and Cho "Joker" Jae-eup, consider coach comms a situational tool that might help “calm things down” without becoming either a decisive edge or, if used carefully, “really a minus” for competitive integrity.
All quotes are translated from Korean. Sources : 국민일보 
