The 2025 League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) playoffs are set to begin this week, with six teams battling for direct qualification to the finals and a potential ticket to the World Championship. Matches will be held at the LCK Arena in LoL Park, Jongno-gu, Seoul, from Sept. 10-14, according to the league’s announcement Monday.

Top seeds Gen.G and Hanwha Life Esports automatically advance to Round 2, while four teams will fight through Round 1 to join them. T1, who finished third in the Legend Group, have chosen DRX as their opening opponent, while BNK FEARX face kt Rolster in the second match of the week.

2025 LCK Playoffs Round 1 & 2 Preview

T1’s decision to challenge DRX instead of BNK FEARX raised eyebrows, with analysts suggesting the team aimed to avoid BNK’s aggressive “sandstorm” playstyle. T1 hold the head-to-head advantage, having beaten DRX twice during the regular season, and boast a 17-3 record against them across the past two years. DRX, however, enter the playoffs with momentum after a dominant 3-0 sweep of Nongshim RedForce in the Play-In finals.

On Thursday, BNK FEARX will test their resurgence against kt Rolster. Despite losing both regular season encounters and a tight five-game series in the LCK Cup to kt, BNK have impressed with bold drafts and clean execution in the Play-In stage. Their upper-jungle-mid coordination will be key to challenging kt’s veteran mid laner Kwak “BDD” Bo-seong, who has carried the roster through turbulent moments this season.

Gen.G, fresh off international victories at the Mid-Season Invitational and Esports World Cup, remain heavy favorites. They will select one of the Round 1 winners as their Round 2 opponent. Hanwha Life Esports, meanwhile, look to reset after a mixed regular season, having secured second in the Legend Group and titles at both the LCK Cup and First Stand earlier in the year.

With every match potentially altering the playoff bracket, Week 1 will define the paths of all six teams. Winners inch closer to a Worlds berth, while losers face the perilous lower bracket.