In the match between Dplus KIA and T1 held on the 17th at LoL PARK in Jongno during the first round of the 2026 League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) regular season, Dplus KIA secured a 2-1 victory. The final game of the series showcased a transformed Dplus KIA. Despite a disadvantageous start, the team did not falter, steadily clawing back their losses and maintaining the momentum of their comeback until the very end.

Dplus KIA took the lead in Game 1, fueled by strong performances across all lanes. 'Smash' Shin Geum-jae’s Jhin and 'Career' Oh Hyeong-seok’s Karma dominated the lane to widen the gap, while 'Siwoo' Jeon Si-woo’s Rumble smoothly evaded enemy ganks. 'ShowMaker' Heo Su’s Cassiopeia and 'Lucid' Choi Yong-hyeok’s Xin Zhao also consistently found openings in skirmishes. Although Cassiopeia was caught out once, Dplus KIA successfully secured three dragons.

Around the 25-minute mark, the Chemtech Soul appeared for Dplus KIA. T1 attempted to initiate a teamfight using the ultimates of 'Oner' Mun Hyeon-jun’s Pantheon and 'Faker' Lee Sang-hyeok’s Ryze, but the damage disparity was too great. Dplus KIA swept up four kills without losing a single player. After easily securing Baron, Dplus KIA held an 8,000-gold lead by 31 minutes. Ultimately, they secured a clean ace in the final teamfight near the Elder Dragon to take the first game.

T1 took the lead in Game 2. 'Peyz' Kim Su-hwan’s Caitlyn and 'Keria' Ryu Min-seok’s Lux secured a duo kill, and 'Oner's Nocturne caught 'ShowMaker's LeBlanc to seize the initiative. Dplus KIA fought back by trading kills for dragon stacks and pushing down the mid-lane tier-one tower. T1 responded immediately by demolishing Dplus KIA’s bottom and mid tier-one towers.

Around the 23-minute mark, T1 caught the enemy jungler and support in a teamfight before the third dragon and headed for Baron. Dplus KIA attempted to defend but conceded three additional kills. Having surged to a lead of over 5,000 gold, T1 continued their winning streak. The damage output from their Jayce - Azir - Caitlyn carry line was devastating. After securing an ace in the Soul teamfight, T1 destroyed Dplus KIA’s Nexus to tie the series 1-1.

In the decisive third game, T1’s bottom duo, opting for Mel and Pyke, drew first blood by taking down 'Smash's Corki. A roaming 'Keria' on Pyke visited mid and top to gift kills to his laners. In particular, 'Siwoo's Vayne fell to 0/4/0 due to Pyke’s persistent roaming. However, Dplus KIA did not collapse; they dispatched members to the top lane to stabilize the situation and continued to force skirmishes to create trade opportunities.

Having delayed T1’s snowball, Dplus KIA completely shifted the momentum by scoring heavily in a dragon teamfight around the 25-minute mark. The fight began with Vayne solo-killing 'Faker's Aurora, complemented by 'Lucid's Lee Sin’s agile hit-and-run maneuvers. Lee Sin caught Aurora once more, allowing Dplus KIA to secure Baron. It was the moment the global gold lead flipped.

Dplus KIA displayed destructive power, securing an ace even without Vayne in the teamfight—a moment that highlighted the limitations of a non-ADC composition. T1 crumbled helplessly against the damage from an over-leveled Corki. It was now firmly Dplus KIA’s time. After easily taking Baron, Dplus KIA caught Pyke and marched into the enemy base. With a triple kill from Corki, they secured a massive victory and put an end to the match.