The 2026 LoL KeSPA Cup has kicked off in the heat of summer rather than the cold of winter. A total of 17 matches were held over the first two days of the qualifiers on the 20th and 21st. With eight qualifying matches still remaining, Nongshim RedForce has become the first team to secure a spot in the finals, boasting a record of 3 wins and 1 loss.

The KeSPA Cup qualifiers feature 10 teams divided into two groups, playing a single round-robin against teams from the opposing group. The last-place team from each group is eliminated, while the remaining eight advance to Playoff Stage 1. In Stage 1, teams compete in a set bracket to determine who advances and who is eliminated, with the final four teams moving on to Stage 2 to compete in the championship tournament.

On the first day, six teams took to the stage, excluding Gen.G Esports, Dplus KIA, Hanwha Life Esports, and T1, who were participating in EWC 2026. The team that made the strongest impression from day one was undoubtedly Nongshim RedForce. Fielding their full starting roster, Nongshim RedForce swept their opening matches against HanJin Brion, kt Rolster, and DN Supers, finishing the day with a 3-0 record. Notably, they relied on traditional marksman champions rather than the non-ADC meta that has recently become popular.

DN Super also fielded their starting roster, having recently signed rookie jungler 'Shabel' Kim Dan-woo during the short break. In their first match against BNK FEARX, they secured a victory thanks to the 'no deaths' performance of 'DuDu' Lee Dong-ju and 'Clozer' Lee Ju-hyeon, capitalizing on their opponent's academy roster. However, they fell to both HanJin Brion and a kt Rolster squad featuring 'Sylvie' Lee Seung-bok and 'Pollu' Oh Dong-gyu, ending the day with a 1-2 record.

BNK FEARX, the only team to field an all-academy roster that day, initially seemed limited after a loss to the 10th-place LCK team DN Super. However, they pulled off an upset in their very next match by defeating the starting roster of Kiwoom DRX. Their bold choice to use the new champion, Locke, in the bottom lane also drew attention.

The remaining four teams joined on the second day, and as expected, all of them fielded their academy rosters. The fortunes of these four teams varied significantly. Gen.G and Dplus KIA, both in Group A, went winless and are now fighting to avoid last place, while T1 and Hanwha Life each secured two wins. T1 defeated Kiwoom DRX, and Hanwha Life caused an upset by taking down Nongshim RedForce, with both teams landing at the top of Group B.

Although Nongshim RedForce suffered an unexpected loss to Hanwha Life's academy team, they were the first to clinch a playoff spot thanks to Gen.G's three losses. DN Super added a win behind a 'hard carry' performance from 'DuDu' on Olaf. Meanwhile, kt Rolster, BNK FEARX, and HanJin Brion all secured wins against Dplus KIA and Gen.G, setting the stage for a fierce ranking battle in Group B as every team joined the 'two-win club.'

The final day of qualifiers, which will determine the final standings, will be held online on the 27th. The bottom team in each group will be eliminated, and higher rankings will grant more favorable matchups in Playoff Stage 1. For instance, the first-place team in each group only needs to win one match to advance directly to Stage 2, while the fourth-place team faces elimination with a single loss.