Dplus KIA failed to hold onto their lead. On the 6th, Dplus KIA fell 1-3 to T1 in Round 3 of the Lower Bracket at the 2026 LCK Playoffs, held at Chzzk LoL Park. Head Coach Kim Dae-ho and Heo "ShowMaker" Su attended the post-match press conference.

Coach Kim offered his summary, saying, "It's very disappointing because there were sets we were more than capable of winning, but lost." He meant that throughout the series, the team repeatedly built favorable situations but failed to close out the games.

During the preparation phase, Dplus KIA focused most heavily on T1's bottom lane. Coach Kim stated, "T1 is strong across the board, but we thought their bot lane was in particularly great form, so we viewed the bot lane as crucial," adding, "Still, it was pleasing to see the potential and strength of Dplus KIA's bot lane." However, he added that because the end result was a defeat, improvements are still necessary.

ShowMaker explained that they spent their preparation time analyzing the opponent's tendencies. He elaborated, "We analyzed T1's preferred draft style and prepared for the match while working through the pick-and-ban phase together."

Coach Kim also explained the reasoning behind leaving Cassiopeia unbanned in Game 1, a champion that had been a permaban. He said, "I definitely thought Game 1 was a disadvantageous draft for us," but added, "Our players are so skilled that, looking at the series as a whole, I believed we could win Game 1 if played well." In other words, they were willing to take a hit in Game 1 to secure a draft advantage in the remaining sets. However, the execution fell short. Coach Kim reflected that if they had properly set up around the Rift Herald timing, they could have secured the Herald and turned it into a winning game.

When asked about the reason for the defeat, Coach Kim first brought up their mindset when leading. "Lately, as we've been trying to execute attacks well, I think we weren't cold-headed enough," he answered. He explained that once gaining a decent lead, simply tracking enemy positions and syncing turn timers can slowly force disadvantageous situations onto the opponent, but they failed to manage that control. He remarked, "Since we've also won many times by playing with heat, finding that balance wasn't easy."

ShowMaker pointed out the same issue. He said, "Our decision-making in crucial moments was lacking," adding, "We were ahead in both Game 1 and Game 3, but in the process of being turned around, our individual judgment fell short compared to T1."

As an area for improvement ahead of the World Championship, Coach Kim pointed to managing consistency. While acknowledging that any team or player can have an off day, he noted that a team's floor must be guaranteed at a baseline level so that when another player hits good form, they can ride that momentum to victory. Coach Kim believes that if they figure out how to prevent a struggling player's form from dropping too low, they will be fully competitive. He evaluated the roster, saying, "These players have such high potential."

ShowMaker summarized the season on a reasonably positive note. Regarding their EWC title, he said, "It was my first international trophy in a long time, so I was really happy," and added that despite the day's loss, he felt good about having already secured a spot at Worlds. He expressed a separate determination for the Swiss Stage. "Since the format changed, I've never made it past the Swiss Stage," he stated. "This time, I want to prepare with even more desperation and perform well."

He also expressed anticipation about the tournament being held in North America. ShowMaker said, "When 2022 Worlds was held four years ago, the local fans cheered so enthusiastically that it remains a really great memory," adding that he feels honored to participate in a tournament held in the United States once again. Regarding skipping the Play-In stage as the 4th seed, he viewed it positively, noting, "Playing in the Play-In stage takes a toll physically and risks exposing your strategies, and you could actually get eliminated."

When asked if there was any LPL team he wanted to face, he replied that he hadn't thought about it yet since the qualified teams were not yet finalized.

With this defeat, Dplus KIA locked in a final 4th-place finish in the LCK and secured LCK's 4th seed for the 2026 World Championship.