LCK Cup 2025: Analysis of Key Matches and Unexpected Outcomes

The LCK Cup 2025 (League of Legends Champions Korea) has come to an end, delivering unforgettable emotions and, at times, shocking match outcomes. The Korean region is one of the strongest in the world in terms of gameplay level, and players from Korea are among the most talented esports athletes in this discipline. Let's take a look at how the tournament unfolded, the most memorable moments, and who emerged as the champion of the LCK Cup 2025!

LCK Baron and Elder Groups

The tournament format this year was completely fresh and unusual for esports in general. The tournament began with a group stage, where 10 teams were divided into two groups: Baron Group and Elder Group.

The Baron Group included the following teams:

• Hanwha Life Esports
• T1
• FearX
• DN Freecs
• BRION

The Elder Group included the following teams:

• Gen.G
• Dplus KIA
• KT Rolster
• Nongshim RedForce
• DRX

In the traditional format we are used to, teams within a group play against each other, fighting for a spot in the Play-in. However, this year, the organizers changed things up, making the groups face off against each other. Based on the results, teams were then redistributed into two new groups: Winner Group and Loser Group. This format introduced an element of luck—if you ended up in a strong group, you were already at an advantage. On the other hand, for strong teams, it was just a small additional step toward victory.

The tournament was further enhanced by the new Fearless Draft, which prevented teams from picking the same champions within a match. This introduced additional challenges but also brought more variety to strategy pools, increased entertainment value, and added unpredictability to the matches.

Battle for a Play-off spot

The top two teams from the group stage didn’t have to play in the Play-in, as they advanced directly to the second round of the Play-off, where they awaited their future opponents. These teams were Dplus KIA and Gen.G. The remaining teams competed against each other for a spot in the Play-off.

The teams that fought in the Play-in were:

• T1
• Hanwha Life
• NS RedForce
• BRION
• DRX
• Freecs

NS RedForce, BRION, DRX, and Freecs started from the first round of the Play-in. T1 and Hanwha Life entered in the second round based on their group stage results. All matches were played in a best-of-three (BO3) format, except for the Play-in Finals, which was best-of-five (BO5). In the final match, DRX faced NS RedForce, where NS RedForce secured victory with a 3:1 score.

As a result, three teams advanced to the Play-off: T1, Hanwha Life, and NS RedForce. Each of these teams began their journey toward the LCK Cup 2025 championship from the first round.

T1's elimination in the first round of the play-offs

All Play-off matches were played in a best-of-five (BO5) format using the Fearless Draft in a Double Elimination system, making the competition even more challenging while delivering unforgettable experiences for the fans.

The first round began with a shocking event—T1's early elimination from the tournament. In an intense match that ended 2:3, Faker ’s team lost to Hanwha Life and was knocked out of the tournament. This was the fastest elimination T1 had experienced since 2018.

Next, Hanwha Life faced one of the group stage champions—Gen.G Esports. A formidable opponent and one of the top contenders for the championship, Gen.G pushed the series to the limit, but Hanwha Life managed to secure a 3:2 victory, advancing further in the bracket. Meanwhile, Gen.G dropped to the lower bracket, where they still had a chance to fight their way back to the final.

At the same time, the second-round match featured Dplus—another group stage champion—against NS RedForce. Dplus showcased an impressive performance, proving they deserved their spot at this stage by defeating NS RedForce with a 3:1 score. As a result, Dplus advanced to the Round 3 Upper Bracket to face Hanwha Life, while NS RedForce moved to the lower bracket, where they would battle Gen.G for survival.

In Round 3, an incredible upper bracket battle unfolded between Dplus and Hanwha Life for a spot in the grand final. Hanwha Life took the first game, but then lost two consecutive maps with little resistance. However, regaining their focus, they fought through a grueling series, ultimately clutching a 3:2 victory and securing their place in the grand final. Dplus dropped to the lower bracket.

In the lower bracket, the elimination match between NS RedForce and Gen.G turned into a thrilling full five-game series. Both teams delivered an intense showdown, but Gen.G emerged victorious, narrowly defeating their opponents.

The lower bracket final was completely one-sided. Gen.G gave Dplus no chance, sweeping them 3:0. With this dominant victory, Gen.G advanced to the grand final, where Hanwha Life was already waiting.

HLE are the LCK 2025 champions

Now we can confidently say that the two strongest teams in the region faced off in the battle for the LCK Cup 2025 championship title. Hanwha Life and Gen.G delivered truly thrilling matches, worthy of a grand final. The outcome remained uncertain until the very last map, as both teams traded victories, winning game after game. But in the decisive fifth game, Hanwha Life managed to clutch the win, becoming the LCK Cup 2025 champions.

The MVP of the tournament was Zeus, who received a prize of 2 million Korean won. He proved that even after leaving T1, he remains one of the strongest top laners in the world.

Unlike other major tournaments, the LCK Cup 2025 had no prize pool—instead, teams fought for an even more valuable reward: a slot at First Stand, making this event a crucial part of the new season.

First Stand is set to take place very soon, running from March 10 to 16, where the best teams from all regions will compete for a $300,000 prize pool and a direct invite to MSI 2025.