LCK Cup 2026 Playoffs Preview: DK Battles An Undefeated Gen.G

Dplus KIA beat DRX 3-2 in the first round of the LCK Cup Playoffs. Their reward? A Round 2 match against the undefeated Gen.G Esports. Gen.G has yet to drop a game in the LCK Cup. However, they have not played in two weeks. In the past, Gen.G has struggled to regain its form after an extended break. Can DK do what no team has done so far?

Recent LCK Cup Match History

GenG beat DK 2-0 in the LCK Cup — Image of Gen.G beating DK, courtesy of the LCK/Riot Games

Gen.G and DK played against each other in the second week of the LCK Cup. At the time, they were two of three teams that had not lost a series. Gen.G closed out dominantly with a 2-0 victory.

The Struggles of DK

On paper, DK has a roster to challenge the best teams in the world. They might have some inexperience, but they should be performing better than they have. Being down 2-1 against DRX does not bode well for the series. DRX has leveled up. However, they are not near Gen.G’s level. No one has shown that they can match the Tigers. Some expected DK to challenge, but they lost heavily in their meeting.

The lack of coordination and priorities in teamfights will come back to bite DK. Gen.G is a ruthless team that will punish any mistakes. They will turn a slight misposition in the early stages into a game-losing moment. DK will need to find their best form to have a chance against the Gen.G giants. In their previous meeting, Gen.G exposed those DK’s weaknesses for everyone to see.

Will the Break Matter for Gen.G?

GenG Beat HLE 3-0 in the LCK Cup — Image of Gen.G Beating HLE, courtesy of the LCK/Riot Games

In the past, many have attributed Gen.G’s shortcomings at the World Championship to extended breaks. In 2023 and 2024, they finished the Swiss Stage 3-0. As a result, they had a two-week break from competing. In 2023, they lost 3-2 to BLG in the quarterfinals. In 2024, they narrowly avoided defeat at the hands of FlyQuest. They would go on to lose to T1 in the Semi-Finals.

For their series against DK, they have not played on the LCK stage for two weeks. That might play a factor in the result of this series. But, is Gen.G too far ahead of DK for that to matter? Given recent form, DK will need Gen.G to crumble to have a chance. Playing them now is the best chance DK will get to earn a victory against Gen.G. The last time DK beat Gen.G in a best-of series was back in the 2021 Spring Split.

Gen.G Esports Versus Dplus KIA Prediction

Gen.G Esports 3-1 Dplus KIA

At their peak, DK might have a chance to win a game. They took a while to ramp up against DRX, but that might give them some confidence. We have been in this position before. Gen.G is coming into a Playoff series as the clear favorites. On two of those occasions, Gen.G lost. Both of those losses were at the hands of Bdd and KT Rolster. Can ShowMaker emulate Bdd and outperform Chovy in a best-of-five series? He has shown signs of brilliance this season. If he can not, DK might not be able to win a game against them.

The Upper Bracket Final Awaits

The winner of the series will advance to the Upper Bracket of the LCK Cup. There, they will wait for the victor between T1 and FearX. The loser drops down to the lower bracket. If Gen.G loses, they will start in Round Three of the lower bracket. However, a loss for DK will place them in Round Two. The reason is that Gen.G is a higher seed than T1 and BFX, while DK is lower than them.