LCK CUP 2026 Round 1-2: Complete Team Tier List

LCK Cup 2026 Round 1-2 - is a highly important tournament for all participating teams, as the 10 strongest rosters in the Korean region will be competing for a ticket to the next qualification stage, Road to MSI. In this blog, we have prepared our own tier list of the tournament participants, and we will also try to compare the strength of each squad and predict their final placement in the standings.

LCK CUP 2026 Round 1-2 Tier List

Before examining each roster in detail, we present a comprehensive tier list categorizing all the participants based on our assessment.

Below, we will explain exactly why we placed each team in these positions.

S-Tier: The Overlords

Gen.G can rightfully be considered one of the main contenders for the LCK Road To MSI title. They are one of the strongest and most consistent teams in the league, as well as the reigning LCK champions. Last year, they managed to win two out of three splits and two international tournaments. At Worlds 2025, it was likely psychological factors rather than mechanical ones that once again prevented them from securing the victory. This year, they easily advanced through the LCK, qualified for First Stand 2026, and began with absolute domination. However, to everyone's surprise, G2 Esports simply swept them 3:0 in the match for a spot in the finals.

Since 2022, T1 have not missed a single MSI. While they have not claimed the championship title during this period, they have consistently finished in 2nd or 3rd place, which speaks volumes about the roster's stability. For most viewers, it is no longer a surprise that T1 typically starts the competitive season slowly and polishes their gameplay to near perfection right in time for the World Championship. Following their recent ADC roster change, it is highly likely they will follow a familiar trajectory, much like they did after Zeus departed. That transition also resulted in a slow start, which eventually culminated in another Worlds victory, securing their third consecutive title. During the winter split, T1 cleared the group stage undefeated, but stumbled in the playoffs, losing 1:3 to FEARX and falling 2:3 to Dplus KIA in the lower bracket. It is evident that their gameplay requires refinement, but T1 certainly knows how to practice and build up their form throughout the season. Therefore, these two rosters stand as the primary contenders for the championship title.

A-Tier: Strong Challengers

Next, I would like to discuss FEARX - the silver medalists of the winter split. The team truly showed a strong performance and surprised the entire community. Objectively speaking, it is difficult to say that the team will perform this consistently moving forward; it was likely a one-time occurrence. They will probably pass the Round 1-2 stage, but it will require much more effort from them to achieve this. It is also hard to draw conclusions from First Stand, as they only played three matches. They lost to BLG with a score of 2:3, then managed to defeat the currently rather weak Team Secret Whales with a score of 3:0. However, they were eliminated from the tournament after losing to G2 Esports 3:0. The roster is solid and has good synergy, but I think this was their ceiling for this season. If a Korean squad manages to win at MSI, I believe FEARX could compete for a slot at Worlds. Honestly, I would place them a tier lower, but thanks to their 2nd place finish in the last split, I will put them in the A-Tier.

Next, I would highlight Hanwha Life Esports, despite their 10th place finish in the previous split. The team played reasonably well, but the tournament format and the final match with the double points rule simply took away all their chances for the LCK Cup 2026 winter split play-ins. I still believe that HLE can and will put up a good fight in Round 1-2, and they remain one of the strongest teams in the tournament. If they address the issue that their midlaner and ADC require constant support at every stage of the game, they can confidently reach the tournament finals. For a better understanding of the tournament format, I recommend checking out the LCK Cup 2026 Round 1-2 Viewer Guide. But even without that, based on the results of such a long round, in my opinion, they will be able to break into the top 4 teams.

B-Tier: The Underdogs

SOOPers is one of the few rosters that started playing genuinely well after replacing almost their entire lineup. Last year, they finished in last or second-to-last place in every split. This year, they have assembled a very strong and promising roster, managing to take 5th place in the very first split. The team possesses highly experienced and capable players who, with diligent work, can achieve a great deal.

Dplus KIA managed to reach 3rd place in the previous split, where they lost 0:3 to FEARX in the match for a spot in the finals. This is a rather solid result considering that their ADC - Smash had almost no experience playing at the tier-1 level, only occasionally substituting for Gumayusi when both played for T1 and the T1 Academy. Paired with another young player, Career, and under the guidance and mentorship of the highly experienced players from Dplus, I think they can grow significantly. However, all teams have become stronger in this split, and I believe HLE, in particular, are especially determined and hungry for victories after the previous split. Therefore, I think it will be much more difficult for Dplus to break into at least the top 3 this time.

C-Tier: Rebuilding Phase

Now let's talk about the teams that are unlikely to advance to the LCK Road To MSI. Only 6 out of 10 teams will proceed to the next stage, and now we will discuss the remaining 4 squads that look the weakest this season.

I think the first one I want to talk about is BRION. The BRION roster consists almost entirely of rookies to the tier-1 scene, and this lack of experience strongly reflects on the team's results. Looking at the previous split, the team took 8th-9th place without winning a single match. In this split, it will be even harder for them; the experience of players from other rosters gives them a better understanding of how and what to fix in their gameplay. If the team keeps its lineup, we might very well see progress next year. However, I do not think they will be able to, or want to, keep a roster made up entirely of newcomers.

KT Rolster also looks quite weak this season. Last year, the team managed to reach the finals of Worlds 2025, losing to T1 with a score of 2:3. Their main problem was a relatively shallow champion pool, which heavily impacted them specifically on the 5th map. Although the team did not change their roster significantly, bringing in only a completely fresh bot lane, this proved to be critical for them. Consequently, they finished the last split in 8th-9th place, sharing this spot with BRION while performing slightly better in the tournament overall.

NS RedForce is a team that, in my opinion, looks very promising on paper, and I would like to place them higher in the tier list. However, at the moment, especially since the tournament has just begun, it is very difficult to say that the squad has made any solid progress in their gameplay. It is quite possible that they will surprise us in the long run, but right now I am placing them among the teams that will fail to reach the top 6 and qualify for the Road To MSI.

Concluding the list will be DRX. The team also features many rookies who lack experience, but one cannot say their gameplay is outright bad. The squad is also very promising and managed to secure a top-6 finish in the previous split. Of course, things will be much more difficult now given the tournament format. The most important goal for this roster is to develop players from a tier-2 or tier-1.5 level into solid tier-1 competitors. I think we should expect some actual results from this roster in the summer split or perhaps next season, assuming they keep the team together - which is certainly unlikely.

What to Expect from LCK CUP 2026 Round 1-2?

In conclusion, I would like to note that this tier list is a purely subjective opinion, and yours may certainly differ. I believe this stage of the tournament will be highly entertaining, and over the next two months, we will be able to observe the improvement and progress of most rosters. I do not expect any massive upsets, such as FEARX taking second place in the previous split. However, there will definitely be a fierce competition among the top teams.

First and foremost, I wish you a pleasant viewing experience, and may the team you support lift the championship trophy. There will be plenty of games to watch, and every single map will be crucial for the rosters, as their seeding in the subsequent stages of the tournament will heavily depend on these results. So do not miss any important updates and keep an eye on lol news, where we cover the latest events from the world of esports.