The 2026 LCK Cup Play-In delivered a string of results that defied expectations, as analyst predictions and fan polls proved unreliable across most of the weekend. Three of the five play-in matches overturned consensus forecasts, underscoring the volatility of a format where a single series can redefine a team’s tournament run.

Held from Friday through Sunday at Chijijik LoL Park in Seoul’s Jongno district, the play-in round determined the final three teams to advance to the LCK Cup playoffs. By the end of the weekend, Dplus KIA, DN Supers and DRX had all secured postseason berths, joining the squads that had already qualified through the group stage.

DN Supers emerged as the most surprising success story. After a difficult group-stage showing, the team opened the play-ins by defeating KT Rolster 2–0, avenging an earlier loss from the opening day of the tournament. Only two of 13 commentators predicted a DN Supers victory, and none projected a sweep. The opening game featured a dramatic comeback, with DN Supers recovering from a 10,000-gold deficit and the loss of all three inhibitors to seize control late.

2026 LCK Cup Play-In Roundup

The momentum continued the following day, when DN Supers faced Nongshim RedForce in a playoff-qualification match. After a lopsided defeat in Game 1, DN Supers regrouped to take the series 2–1. A late-game Rumble performance from top laner Lee “Dudu” Dong-ju stabilized Game 2, while a 45-minute decider ended with Seo “Deokdam” Dae-gil’s Ezreal closing out the final fight.

DRX produced a similarly unexpected run. In the final play-in match on Sunday, the team swept Nongshim RedForce 3–0, despite most predictions favoring a narrow Nongshim win. DRX appeared sharper throughout the series, addressing early-game issues that had plagued them in a loss to Dplus KIA the day before.

Dplus KIA, the top seed in the play-ins, advanced earlier on Saturday with a controlled 2–0 win over DRX, reinforcing their status as a playoff contender.

With Gen.G, T1 and BNK FearX already qualified, the additions of Dplus KIA, DN Supers and DRX complete the six-team playoff field. The double-elimination playoffs begin Thursday, with the finals qualifier set for Feb. 28 and the grand final scheduled for March 1 in Hong Kong.