LCK 2026 Regular Season Day 31: Two Struggling Rosters On the Cusp of Being Eliminated
Nongshim Redforce and DN SOOPers are two struggling teams in the LCK. Both are on game droughts, and there is no end in sight right now. Both looked destined to finish in the bottom half of the LCK. After a positive showing in the LCK Cup, one wonders what has happened to DNS. They somehow look worse than they did in the regular season last year. On the other hand, T1 and Dplus Kia move closer to the Road to MSI qualification.
T1 Versus Nongshim Redforce
Game One – T1 Control
Oner shows bot lane to give Peyz and Keria confidence to push in the wave. Sponge tried to punish Oner by stealing his Blue Buff. Oner arrived just in time to deny it. T1 started to run the early game, but had a couple of bad moments. NS’s reprieve did not last long as their bot play failed with Keria’s Encore. Every time NS went for a play after that, T1 shut it down. Peyz got a pentakill after NS’s focus shifted towards Keria on the dive.
Game Two – An Even Battle Explodes
NS’s early game goes much better until Faker solo kills Scout twice in a row. With the tides turning in T1’s favor, they blunder a Drake fight. The next few minutes feature nail-biting fights as NS slowly builds toward victory. NS has their first significant gold lead of the game until T1 locks in. T1 wins a fight around the Baron, and they kill Kingen and Pleata in the ensuing play. T1 ends the game with their Baron push.
Champions Played
T1
- Doran – Sion, K’Sante
- Oner – Xin Zhao, Wukong
- Faker – Ryze, Akali
- Peyz – Ashe, Lucian
- Keria – Seraphine, Milio
Nongshim Redforce
- Kingen – Ambessa, Rumble
- Sponge – Jarvan IV, Pantheon
- Scout – Twisted Fate, Viktor
- Diable – Ezreal, Corki
- Pleta – Neeko, Nami
DN SOOPers Versus Dplus KIA
Game One – DK Win Through Bot Lane
DK drafted the infamous bot lane duo of Caitlyn and Lux. The choice proved useful as they dominated the bot side of the map. Enosh, on his debut, struggled to keep up with Smash. They managed to get a kill back, but that was not enough to stop the bleeding. Lucid got fed as a result of his bot lane’s control. With that lead, DK transferred it to the rest of the map as they dominated the first game of the series.
Game Two – DuDu’s Early Lead Does Not Matter
DDoiV ganks Siwoo early to put DuDu ahead. DuDu also secures a solo kill. However, Lucid’s gank on the bot side of the map succeeds. DuDu dies once, and the game becomes a nightmare for DNS. They do not lose many members throughout the game, but they can never fight back. DK wins by gaining gold from towers and objectives. Once the lead is too significant, DK crushes through the base and ends the game.
Champions Played
DN SOOPers
- DuDu – Gwen, Sylas
- DDoiV – Xin Zhao, Pantheon
- Clozer – Viktor, Ryze
- Enosh – Lucian, Ezreal
- Life – Milio, Seraphine
Dplus KIA
- Siwoo – Sion, Gnar
- Lucid – Jarvan IV, Skarner
- ShowMaker – Cassiopeia, Taliyah
- Smash – Caitlyn, Ashe
- Career – Lux, Lulu
NS is Struggling to Buy a Win
NS has not won a game since Diable joined them in week 5. Their most recent game win was against Hanwha Life Esports in week 4. After a decent start to the LCK regular season, things have gone downhill for the roster. Granted, they faced stern opposition at that time. However, their performances have not been good enough.
What Is Happening with The DN SOOPers
DNS broke a record for most consecutive game losses in the LCK. They have lost 24 consecutive games, and it does not look like it will end soon. They subbed in DDoiV and Enosh for Pyosik and deokdam in this series. That totals their third and fourth subs of the LCK regular season. They have replaced the World Championship winner, Pyosik, and World Championship finalists deokdam and Peter. The internal issues are clearly impacting this roster. Will they win a game before Road to MSI?
We will cover the LCK Regular Season at Total Apex Entertainment, with daily summaries and weekly previews/reviews.
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We will cover the LCK Regular Season at Total Apex Entertainment, with daily summaries and weekly previews/reviews.
