Provided by Riot Games

The 2026 LCK regular season has concluded, heading into the Play-In and Playoffs. KT Rolster, Hanjin BRION, Nongshim RedForce, and BNK FEARX will clash in the Play-In for two playoff spots. The two teams that advance from the Play-In will face the Legend Group's 3rd-place team, T1, and 4th-place team, Dplus KIA, in Round 1 of the Playoffs.

Riot Games, organizer of League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK)—the Korean professional esports league for League of Legends (LoL)—announced that the 2026 LCK Play-In will take place from Wednesday, August 26, to Friday, August 28, at Chzzk LoL Park in Jongno-gu, Seoul, followed by the 2026 Woori Bank LCK Playoffs starting Saturday, August 29.

In the first Play-In match on Wednesday, August 26, Legend Group's 5th-place KT Rolster will face Rise Group's 1st-place Hanjin BRION. The winner of this best-of-five (Bo5) series will directly qualify for the Playoffs as the No. 5 seed.

KT Rolster remained in contention for the top spots through the mid-season, but a losing streak in their final six matches saw them finish 5th in the Legend Group, forcing them to start their postseason from the Play-In. Hanjin BRION finished tied with Nongshim RedForce and BNK FEARX at 10–16, but secured 1st place in the Rise Group thanks to set differential.

The two teams faced each other twice during this year's regular season, splitting the series with one win each. KT Rolster took the first match 2-0, while Hanjin BRION returned the favor with an identical score in their second meeting. Having tied in the regular season, the two teams will now engage in a true showdown in the Play-In.

Even in defeat, the loser of the KT Rolster vs. Hanjin BRION match will still have a chance at making the Playoffs. The losing team will face the winner of the match between Nongshim RedForce and BNK FEARX on Friday, August 28, for the final playoff spot.

On Thursday, August 27, Rise Group's 2nd-place Nongshim RedForce will go head-to-head with 3rd-place BNK FEARX. The two teams last met just four days ago on Sunday, August 23, in the final match of the regular season. BNK FEARX, who held 1st place in the Rise Group prior to the match, took Set 1, but Nongshim RedForce rallied back to win Sets 2 and 3, securing a 2-1 comeback victory. With the win, Nongshim RedForce climbed to 2nd place in the Rise Group, while BNK FEARX dropped to 3rd.

While the regular season finale caused a dramatic shakeup in the standings, their matchup carries an even deeper narrative. On April 30, the two teams completed a straight swap of their bottom laners, with 'Diable' Nam Dae-geun and 'Taeyoon' Kim Tae-yoon trading jerseys. In the three meetings following the 1-for-1 trade, BNK FEARX took the first match, but Nongshim RedForce won the subsequent two matches in Rounds 3 and 4. As a result, Nongshim RedForce leads their head-to-head regular season record 3–1.

The key difference between the regular season and the Play-In is that the loser of Thursday's best-of-five match on August 27 will see their season come to an end. All eyes are on which team between Nongshim RedForce and BNK FEARX, both of whom generated intriguing storylines throughout the 2026 season, will face the bitterness of an early exit.

The two teams victorious in the Play-In matches on August 26 and 28 will advance to Round 1 of the 2026 Woori Bank LCK Playoffs, which kicks off on Saturday, August 29. Regular season Legend Group 3rd-place T1 will choose their opponent from the two Play-In qualifiers, while 4th-place Dplus KIA will face the remaining team.

Regular season Legend Group 1st-place Gen.G and 2nd-place Hanwha Life Esports directly seeded into Round 2 of the Playoffs. Following the conclusion of Playoff Round 1 on Saturday, August 29, and Sunday, August 30, Gen.G will select their opponent from the two winning teams.

Featuring six teams, the Playoffs will be conducted in a double-elimination format. The three teams surviving through the Playoffs will compete for the ultimate championship at the KSPO Dome in the 2026 Woori Bank LCK Finals Qualifier and Final.

The 2026 LCK Play-In and 2026 Woori Bank LCK Playoffs will be broadcast live on online platforms such as Chzzk and SOOP, with venue tickets available for purchase via NOL Ticket.