LCK 2026 Regular Season Week 9: Gen.G Misses Out on Top Two Replaced by a Surging T1

After nine weeks of LCK gameplay, the dust has settled. Six teams are still in the hunt for the Mid-Seasonal Invitational. The other four teams will have a couple of months off and will only return for Round 3. Hanwha Life Esports, T1, Gen.G Esports, KT Rolster, Dplus KIA, and HANJIN BRION will participate in the Road to MSI. At least one of HLE or T1 will be at the international event.

LCK Week 9 Predictions

The LCK Week 9 Standings — Image of the LCK Week 9 Standings, courtesy of the LCK/Riot Games

For the second consecutive week, we had a perfect week of predictions. Of the ten matches, we predicted seven of them with the correct scoreline as well.

Gen.G Esports 2-1 Hanwha Life Esports

Prediction: Gen.G 2-1

FearX 2-1 KRX

Prediction: BFX 2-1

DN SOOPers 1-2 Nongshim Redforce

Prediction: NS 2-0

KT Rolster 0-2 T1

Prediction: T1 2-1

Dplus KIA 2-1 KRX

Prediction: DK 2-1

Gen.G Esports 2-0 HANJIN BRION

Prediction: Gen.G 2-0

KT Rolster 2-0 DN SOOPers

Prediction: KT 2-0

FearX 0-2 T1

Prediction: T1 2-0

HANJIN BRION 0-2 Hanwha Life Esports

Prediction: HLE 2-0

Nongshim Redforce 0-2 Dplus KIA

Prediction: DK 2-1

One Talking Point About Every Team

One half of the LCK Road to MSI Bracket — Image of the LCK Road to MSI Bracket, courtesy of the LCK/Riot Games

Hanwha Life Esports – Securing First Place

HLE has the worst start to the season imaginable. They finished last in the LCK Cup. The time off for the team paid off. They came out swinging in the LCK regular season. Their aggressive playstyle with Kanavi took the LCK by storm. Teams started to figure out how to play against HLE towards the end, but they are a formidable force.

T1 – Clinching Second Place in the Only Way T1 Could

T1 needed a perfect final week to finish second in the LCK. They ended up achieving that, but it was far from perfect on the Rift. T1 fell behind and should have lost game two. They also nearly threw game one against BFX by trying to end too fast. However, they made it and now have two shots to qualify for MSI.

Gen.G Esports – A Low Finish

Gen.G has rarely finished any lower than first place in the LCK regular season for the past few years. Them finishing in third place is a straight place to be. They narrowly missed out on the top two by one game.

KT Rolster – They Fell Off

KT had the best start possible to the LCK regular season. They won eight series in a row before falling to HLE. The team could not continue that momentum and slumped to fourth place in the LCK. Despite being in fourth place, they look a level below the teams above them.

Dplus KIA – Legend Group This Time

In 2025, DK missed out on the Legend Group after losing a tiebreaker match to KT. They secured the final Legend Group spot before the final week. They will have a difficult time competing with the other four teams in the group.

HANJIN BRION – A Late Surge

For the longest time, everyone thought BRO was the weakest team in the league. They were the only team not to win a series in the LCK Cup. Midway through the regular season, the team clicked. Their surge allowed them to qualify for the Road to MSI.

FearX – A Drastic Falloff

BFX had a fall from grace after their dominant LCK Cup showing. One trade later, and BFX is in the position many expected to be at the start of the year. Taeyoon has made a positive impact on the roster, but they will sit out until Round 3.

KRX – A Competitive Team

KRX is one of the more competitive teams in the bottom half of the standings. During Round 2, they took a game off every top-five team. However, they could not translate that into a series victory.

Nongshim Redforce – A Superteam Failing

The NS roster should be better than their regular-season placement. With two World Championship winners and a Mid-Season Invitational winner, they should be higher in the standings. However, the team has struggled to stay consistent, and the trade did not help that.

DN SOOPers – It Could Only Get Better

After winning their first series of the LCK regular season, DNS fell. They won one game in the other seventeen series. Something has gone wrong internally and needs mending. They had the time off, and it can not get much worse than it already has.