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We continue to traverse the competitive League of Legends landscape with regional league play-offs taking place. That includes the titular South Korea, with the region's premier tournament, LCK Cup 2025.
LCK Cup 2025 features a play-offs stage, where 6 teams battle it out for a First Stand slot. Among the contenders are KT Rolster and Nongshim RedForce, who will open the play-offs with a head-to-head match.
Let's try to figure out who will be stronger in this match and pass to the next round, where they will play against Dplus or Gen.G.
Let's go.
KT Rolster uniforms
We open the analysis of the match KT Rolster vs Nongshim RedForce with an analysis of KT Rolster's form. In this match they are playing as favourites with odds to win at around 1.4.
In 2022, KT Rolster have finished top 7 at LCK Spring 2022 and top 5 at LCK Summer 2022. The main "achievement" was getting to the TOP-4 Regional Finals, but it was of no use: they didn't make it to the Worlds 2022 anyway.
The new season was better. In the first LCK Spring 2023 KT Rolster climbed all the way to the top 3. They were only beaten by Gen.G, who knocked out Bdd and company with a score of 1-3.
- KT Rolster lineup: PerfecT, Cuzz, Bdd, deokdam, Way.
At LCK Summer 2023 KT Rolster clearly want to at least repeat the result of the spring. In the group stage, KT rolled over all of their opponents, closing it out with a score of 17-1.
In the first round of play-offs KT Rolster chose T1 as their opponent. Confident after a successful group stage, KT Rolster stumbled against T1 and lost the match with a score of 2-3.
In the first round of the lower grid KT Rolster met HLE, who fell there after an uninspiring loss to Gen.G. The match with KT ended with an identical scenario: 0-3 and here KT Rolster are.
Once in the bottom of the grid, Rolster first defeated Hanwha Life Esports (3-0) and then played T1 again. This time the win was even closer as KT Rolster led 2-0, but T1 was there to reverse sweep and turn the series 3-2 in their favour.
KT Rolster made it to the 2023 Worlds via the South Korean regional finals. KT Rolster played one series and that was against Hanwha Life Esports. Winning the match was no problem and Rolster joined T1 and Gen.G in the main event and home tournament of the year.
Rolster opened the World Championship itself with a match against BLG, who they lost to. Two wins followed, first defeating fellow regionals Dplus and then beating Weibo Gaming.
At 2-1, KT Rolster faced LNG Esports and lost 1-2. In the play-offs match, Rolster played their compatriots from DPlus and ran over them 2-0 without much trouble.
However, KT Rolster failed to advance beyond the first round of the play-offs. They ran into JD Gaming and lost 1-3, thus ending their Worlds appearances in the top 8.
KT Rolster finished the LCK Spring 2024 regular season in 4th place with a score of 11-7. In the play-offs, however, they reached the Top 5, Ledgeiv DPlus KIA in a match to advance to the Top 4.
In the LCK Summer 2024 play-offs KT Rolster came from 5th place, having played the regular season with a score of 9-9. At the end of the play-offs they finished in the top 5 and that's kind of good, but far from good.
KT Rolster played in Group Elder, where with a score of 3-2 they managed to go directly to the play-offs.
KT Rolster's most popular champions
Fiora (5 games, 60% wins) was the most often sent to the top line. There was also Jax (3 games, 100% wins), Camile (2 matches, 100% wins), Irelia (2 matches, 100% wins).
In the forest Maokai (7 matches, 85% wins), Sejuani (4 games, 75% wins), Viego (2 matches, 100% wins).
The centre line was occupied by Azir (5 matches, 80% wins), Sylas (3 games, 66% wins), Kassadin (2 matches, 100% wins), Ryze (2 games, 50% wins).
Shooters set is standard: Varus (4 games, 50% wins), Lucian (4 games, 100% wins).
Sapports are diverse: Nami (3 games, 100% wins), Ashe (3 games, 0 wins), Varus (2 games, 100% wins), Miss Fortune (2 games, 100% wins).
Nongshim RedForce uniforms
We continue the analysis of the match Nongshim RedForce vs KT Rolster with the analysis of the Nongshim RedForce form. In this match they are playing as the number two with odds of winning around 3.
Nongshim Red Force is a team with no stars from heaven. It is a solid mid-tier team in Korea, or rather one of the worst teams in the best region.
In the arena LCK Nongshim RedForce have been in the LCK Nongshim arena since 2021. It also became the best in the not yet long history of this particular tag: at that time Nongshim RedForce managed to take Top 6 at LCK Spring 2021 and Top 4 at LCK Summer 2021, and there was also Top 3 at Regional Finals, but it was not enough to pass to Worlds.
Things started to get worse in 2022. Nongshim RedForce finished top-8 at both LCK Spring 2022 and LCK Summer 2022.
In the 13 competition season, Nongshim RedForce can be called the worst team in the region. At LCK Spring 2023 the team took the last, 10th place, and at LCK Summer 2023 they were not far away - TOP-9.
- Nongshim RedForce roster: Kingen, Sylvie, Fisher, Jiwoo, Lehends.
The only member of Nongshim RedForce from last season is Jiwoo. The remaining 4 players are new to the team.
Nongshim RedForce will play against DRX in the first match. In that match I expect Nongshim RedForce to win. Next will be a game against Gen.G, where RedForce has no chance not only to win, but to take at least a map.
At LCK Spring 2024 Nongshim RedForce were ranked in the top 8. The LCK 2024 summer split was no better than the spring one: the final top 8 and the change of the roster in the off-season.
The 2025 season, like most title teams in the region, started with an appearance at LCK Cup 2025. They played in the Elder Group, where they finished in last place, but made it to the Play-In. In the Play-In Long Sogpeg with a win over BRION, lost to T1 in the next round, but beat DRX 3-1 in the lower grid match.
Most popular Nongshim RedForce champions
The most popular champion on the top line is Gnar (10 games, 90% wins). Jayce appeared 8 times and the winrate was 87%. Kenen was played 4 times and won all matches, KSante 4 times and 3 wins, Renekton 4 times and 2 wins.
In the forest were Vi (11 matches, 72% wins), Sejuani (10 games, 80% wins), Wukong (7 matches, 85% wins), Le Sin (6 games, 83% wins).
On the centre line it was Azir (13 games, 69% wins), Gragas (6 matches, 100% wins), Kassadin (5 games, 100% wins), Viktor (4 matches, 75% wins).
The most popular ADC is Lucian (12 matches, 83% wins). Next are Varus (8 games, 87% wins), Caitlyn (5 games, 100% wins), Zeri (4 matches, 75% wins).
Nami (13 matches, 84% winrate). Ashe and Lux have 4 games and 4 wins each.
History of head-to-head meetings KT Rolster - Nongshim RedForce
In the season 2024 the teams played each other 4 times and all matches were won by KT Rolster.
Predicted result of Nongshim RedForce vs KT Rolster at LCK Cup 2025
I would not expect a close game in this match. KT Rolster should pass Nongshim RedForce without much trouble. On the plus side, Nongshim RedForce have made the Play-In tournament, but I don't think that will help them.
Bottom line: KT Rolster wins.
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