LCK 2026 Round 3 Day One Recap: KT Rolster Shock The Defending World Champions
The LCK returned to action today with the start of the Legend and Rise Groups. Nongshim Redforce were first up against KRX, whom they quickly dispatched in a 2-0 series. T1 and KT Rolster followed up that battle with a closer series, but the same result. KT shocked everyone by defeating T1 2-0 to start their playoff chase in the best way possible.
Nongshim Redforce Dismantles KRX
After a successful Kespa Cup run so far, NS continued their momentum with a dominant 2-0 victory over KRX. NS had lost all previous meetings against KRX up until this point. They played against each other six times before today’s series. One of those was a best-of-five series that KRX won 3-0. NS ended the loss streak after controlling the series from start to finish.
KRX had two roster changes following the conclusion of round two. LazyFeel returned to the roster in place of Jiwoo, while Frog, their Challenger top laner, replaced Rich. It is the second time Frog has played in the LCK, with his previous appearance being in the 2024 LCK Summer Regular Season. Kingen got the better of him during the series, with the previous Worlds Finals MVP having a knockout Zaahen performance. Locke had his LCK debut in the series, with Scout piloting the champion to perfection, ending with eleven kills.
Champions Played
KRX
- Frog – Gnar, Ambessa
- Willer – Xin Zhao, Skarner
- Ucal – Orianna, Cassiopeia
- Lazyfeel – Yunara, Sivir
- Andil – Bard, Nautilus
Nongshim Redforce
- Kingen – Varus, Zaahen
- Sponge – Jarvan IV, Lee Sin
- Scout – Locke, Syndra
- Diable – Ezreal, Jhin
- Lehends – Shen, Leona
T1 Off to the Worst Start
The Legend Group is extremely competitive. With all five teams vying for the four World Championship spots, it is imperative to hit the ground running. T1 failed to do that against KT. They had leads in both games, but threw them away after a handful of mistakes. They should have won comfortably in the end, but T1’s inability to close out games is becoming an issue. A couple of months ago, they were the team that always found a way to come back in games and rarely gave up leads. Now, after their game four loss to G2 Esports at MSI, the team has crumbled.
Their inability to close out games comfortably bit them today and will continue to affect them. Losing to KT is bad enough, but considering KT had FenRir sub in at the last minute makes matters worse. KT had not scrimmed with FenRir before the series. The win is vital for KT Rolster as they look to keep their spot in the top four. Their coach also confirmed that FenRir will be the starter for the foreseeable future.
Champions Played
T1
- Doran – Ambessa, Jayce
- Oner – Vi, Lee Sin
- Faker – Akali, Ryze
- Peyz – Viktor, Jhin
- Keria – Leona, Shen
KT Rolster
- PerfecT – Zaahen, Rumble
- Cuzz – Pantheon, Jarvan IV
- Bdd – Cassiopeia, Yone
- FenRir – Ezreal, Miss Fortune
- Effort – Nautilus, Rell
Tomorrow’s Matches
The two recent international winners face off tomorrow in the LCK. Hanwha Life Esports and Dplus KIA look to start the second half of the LCK season on the right foot. Before that, DN SOOPers will play against FearX as they try to mount a near-impossible comeback to reach the Play-Ins stage. DNS has one win to their name and will need every series victory they can get to stave off elimination.
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