LCK Cup 2026 Playoff Results: T1 Falter While Gen.G Esports Bleed
There was one significant upset during the first week of the LCK Cup Playoffs. T1 fell 3-1 to FearX in Round 2. FearX played phenomenally during the series, knocking the World Champions into the Lower Bracket. In the other Round 2 matchup, Dplus KIA managed to take a game off of Gen.G Esports. That was the first game loss that Gen.G suffered so far in the LCK Cup.
LCK Cup Playoffs Week 1 Results
Of the four LCK Cup Playoff matches, we predicted the winner for three of the four series. The only winner we missed was FearX defeating T1. Of the three correctly predicted winners, only one match had the perfect score as well.
FearX 3-2 DN SOOPers
Total Apex Prediction: BFX 3-1
The DN SOOPers could have progressed to Round 2 of the playoffs. They had BFX on the ropes in game five. However, instead of resetting for Baron, DNS pushed for the end. They could not kill the Nexus and gave BFX a route back into the game. BFX would eventually close out the series with a Baron push.
Dplus KIA 3-2 DRX
Total Apex Prediction: DK 3-1
DRX put up a better fight in their rematch with Dplus KIA. DRX nearly recovered from a 10k gold lead in the second game of the series. A win there could have given them a 3-0 series victory. DK struggled to find their footing in the series until the last two games. Once they did that, they dismantled DRX to advance to Round 2 of the LCK Cup Playoffs.
Gen.G Esports 3-1 Dplus KIA
Total Apex Prediction: Gen.G 3-1
No team had taken a game off Gen.G Esports before this series. DK managed to achieve that against a lackluster Gen.G Esports. They might have sent the series the distance, if it was not for Chovy’s intervention. He ascended in game four on Aurora to carry Gen.G over the line.
T1 3-1 FearX
Total Apex Prediction: BFX 3-1
BFX dominantly upset T1. It was not a case of BFX getting lucky or T1 dramatically underperforming. Yes, T1 were not at their best during the series. However, they were not at their worst either. BFX had T1 beaten in all aspects of the series. From Draft, to macro, to mechanics, to teamfight, BFX had T1’s number.
Total Apex LCK Team of the Week
Gen.G players have dominated the team of the week. They missed out last week because of the Play-Ins. On their return, only two Gen.G players make their way into the team of the week. Chovy was the standout performer this week, being the linchpin behind Gen.G’s success.
Top Laner – DuDU
- DRX
- Total Apex Rating – 6.6
Jungler – Canyon
- Gen.G Esports
- Total Apex Rating – 7.5
Mid Lane – Chovy
- Gen.G Esports
- Total Apex Rating – 8.8
Bot Lane – Diable
- FearX
- Total Apex Rating – 6.4
Support – Kellin
- FearX
- Total Apex Rating – 7.1
Neeko Becomes the Most Banned
With many overpowered champions nerfed, Neeko took center stage during the LCK Cup Playoffs. She has been a dominant pick for teams for a long time. Her strength in laning phase and teamfighting has made her a premier support. Varus was not far behind, getting banned in one less game than Neeko. They both had the same presence throughout the week.
Multiple Champions Share Most Played
Ten champions featured in all four series in week one of the LCK Cup Playoffs. All of them have been near or at the top of the team’s priority lists for some time in the LCK. The ten champions in alphabetical order are: Aphelios, Aurora, Azir, Jax, Jhin, Rakan, Ryze, Thresh, Xin Zhao, and Yunara. Ahri has risen in priority thanks to her buffs, seeing playtime in three of the four series.
More LCK Content
Below are all the series reviews during the first week of the LCK Cup playoffs.
