Nongshim RedForce claimed the championship at the LCK Challengers League (hereafter, LCK CL) Kickoff on Tuesday the 3rd, lifting the winner’s trophy for the first time in three years.

The LCK CL Kickoff final featured a head-to-head matchup between T1 Esports Academy and Nongshim RedForce. Nongshim RedForce advanced directly to Round 1 of the playoffs after finishing first in the lower bracket group. In the upper-bracket Round 3, they fell to T1 Esports Academy and dropped into the lower bracket, but bounced back by sweeping KT Rolster 3–0 in lower-bracket Round 4 to secure a spot in the final. There, they defeated T1 Esports Academy 3–1 in sets, avenging their earlier upper-bracket Round 3 loss. With this victory, Nongshim RedForce returned to the top for the first time in three years, since the 2023 Summer Split.

In Game 1, Nongshim RedForce seized early control when “SeTab” Song Gyeong-jin notched the game’s first kill with a solo kill. T1 Esports Academy managed to strike back in a mid-game skirmish to close the gap, but Nongshim RedForce regained momentum through crisp skill usage and coordinated follow-ups. In particular, “MihawK” Kim Ju-hyeong’s playmaking opened the door in fights, and “SeTab” converted those openings into kills to widen the lead—closing out Game 1 at 15 kills to 1 death.

Game 2 was also a near-flawless win for Nongshim RedForce, conceding just a single kill. They secured every objective and tower, executing macro play that came close to a perfect game. Despite a somewhat tricky draft-and-ban phase, Nongshim RedForce stabilized potential variables during the laning phase and steadily locked in priority. “Janus” Eom Ye-jun in particular broke T1 Esports Academy’s game plan by solo-killing “Haetae” Sim Su-hyeon twice. Nongshim both carried out their poke composition with high completeness and showed an edge in full teamfight setups as well.

In the ensuing Game 3, T1 Esports Academy took control of the pace by designing early skirmishes around playmaking from jungler “Painter” Kim Eun-hoo and support “Cloud” Moon Hyeon-ho. In the top lane, “Haetae” secured lane priority, laying the groundwork for the team’s overall game plan. From there, T1 Esports Academy fully took the reins and finished Game 3 with a win.

Even going into the decisive Game 4, Nongshim RedForce continued to display overwhelming form. Holding advantages across every lane, “MihawK” stood out in particular—showing a level of composure that belied his rookie status. With superiority in draft execution, laning performance, and skirmish planning, Nongshim never let the momentum slip, ultimately capturing the title after three years.

As the 2026 LCK CL Kickoff champion, Nongshim RedForce received KRW 15 million in prize money, and finals MVP “SeTab” Song Gyeong-jin was awarded KRW 1 million.

Finals MVP “SeTab” Song Gyeong-jin said, “Our jungler played really well too, but I’m grateful that Game 1 was viewed favorably.” He continued, “I check the cheer signs every time we draft and ban. The support from fans in the venue gives me a lot of strength and motivation,” adding, “Please keep cheering for us in the regular season as well—we’ll put up results this year that you can be satisfied with.”

Meanwhile, the 2026 LCK CL is hosted and organized by Riot Games Korea, with the Korea e-Sports Association (KeSPA) overseeing overall operations. WDG is responsible for broadcast production, and Woori Bank participates as a sponsor. The LCK CL regular season begins on Monday, March 30.

This article was translated from the original that appeared on INVEN.