Dplus KIA suffered a heartbreaking comeback loss against kt Rolster in the second round of the '2026 LoL Champions Korea (LCK)' Road to MSI, held at LoL PARK in Jongno on the 7th. Despite winning the first two sets and maintaining a lead throughout the series, they allowed comebacks in two consecutive sets, ultimately falling in a 'win-win-lose-lose-lose' fashion. They surrendered their lead in the 4th set despite a 10k gold advantage, and in the 5th set despite a 5k gold lead.

Coach Kim Dae-ho, who visited the press room after the match, looked visibly disappointed. Having lost a series that was all but won, his frustration was understandable. "It's very disappointing to lose. I think the reasons for the defeat are complex. There was also an element of bad luck," he began.

When asked about the cause of the loss, Coach Kim did not single out any specific lane. "It's hard to call us a rookie team, but it seems every player goes through these phases. 'Lucid' Choi Yong-hyeok had a slump but is doing well now, and the bottom lane was the same. The top lane was generally okay, though..." he said, trailing off.

He continued, "When 'Siwoo' Jeon Si-woo is playing well, he can carry games on his own. Also, the top lane had somewhat stabilized by the final set today. I feel that if we had won that game and kept the momentum going, we would have performed well in the remaining matches. It seems like a combination of factors led to the loss."

Dplus KIA suffered two comeback losses today. The first was Game 4, where a 10k-gold lead was overturned. Coach Kim said, "We maintained good tempo until the mid-game, but the subsequent execution was disappointing. With a 10k-gold lead, we should have naturally won the fights in the fields and pressured them with Baron threats. We didn't nail those details, and the opponent responded well."

In the 5th set, they were again leading by 5k gold before a single teamfight at the Elder Dragon turned the game around. During the standoff, Maokai's ultimate skill was wasted pointlessly, and with Zahan getting caught out of position, it led to a crushing defeat. Coach Kim explained, "We should have pressured the opponent, who had given up mid-lane control, and forced them to fight at our pace, but we were too hasty. We should have played with more composure. Even though we were in a favorable position, I think we felt a bit rushed because we were being chased down after losing two straight sets."

Finally, Coach Kim concluded the interview with a determined outlook: "Honestly, I didn't expect to lose today. That's why it's even more disappointing. But a loss is a loss. I will thoroughly analyze why we couldn't win, why we couldn't close it out, and why we lost, and I will keep fighting to reach the top this year."