Worlds 2026 Dplus KIA Preview: Untested Youth As the Dark Horses
The countdown to Worlds 2026 has begun. To start the hype for the international event, we are looking at every team in the tournament. Dplus KIA has one of the youngest rosters at Worlds. ShowMaker and Lucid are the only players on the roster who have been at the international event before. Will the roster’s inconsistencies show at their second international event of the year?
Dplus KIA’s Roster
- Jeon “Siwoo” Si-woo – Korean Top Laner
- Choi “Lucid” Yong-hyeok – Korean Jungler
- Heo “ShowMaker” Su – Korean Mid Laner
- Sin “Smash” Guem-jae – Korean Bot Laner
- Oh “Career” Hyung-suk – Korean Support
DK made two roster changes after missing Worlds last year. Cho “BeryL” Geon-hee left the team, while Kim “Aiming” Ha-ram went to KT Rolster. Smash and Career played their first complete LCK seasons this year.
Inconsistency Personified
For a period of the year, DK was the best LCK team. They won the Esports World Cup, including a win over Gen.G Esports. They returned to the LCK, going 6-2 in Rounds 3-4. It was the best record of all the LCK teams. They then lost 3-0 to KT Rolster in Round 1 of the playoffs. The series featured one of the worst throws. They lost a game with 14k gold. They almost lost 3-0 to FearX, but they turned the series around. They then earned revenge on KT. T1 dispatched them in the next round.
The young players on the roster have struggled to maintain their form. Smash and Career have taken down every LCK bot lane, including Peyz and Keria. At the same time, they have looked second-best against those same players. Jiwoo and Effort outperformed DK’s bot lane in the Round 1 3-0 victory. Lucid is another member who has struggled with consistency. He is extremely creative, but often plays passively. His lanes bleed out while he farms his camps. By the time he looks for a play, his team is far behind.
Key Player – Heo “ShowMaker” Su
ShowMaker has the most experience on the roster. He has won Worlds before and was a runner-up in 2021. The team leans on his consistency. He often stood up to the best mid laners in the LCK. Giving ShowMaker proactive champions is vital to DK’s success. ShowMaker’s Orianna is good, but not what the team needs. He is a passenger, catching side waves while the map burns. On proactive champions, ShowMaker can drive the game forward. He allows Smash to play aggressively on mid-waves. That aggression buys time for Siwoo. DK tends to lose control of games when Siwoo dies in side lanes. He dies while the team has no pressure elsewhere. ShowMaker needs to be that pressure point.
ShowMaker knows what it takes to win a Worlds trophy. If he can relay that to the rest of his team, they may cause damage.
Dplus KIA’s Expectations
No one should expect DK to win Worlds. Their inconsistency does not bode well for a deep run. One or two disastrous series, and DK is out. Do they have the potential to win? Without a doubt. But that relies on the team shoring up their mistakes and playing more consistently. Smash, Career, and Lucid have peaked as the best players in their region. If they do it throughout the tournament, they might lift the trophy. They should at least get through the Swiss Stage. However, do not be surprised if they are one of the Eastern teams to miss out.
Swiss Stage Beginnings
As part of the winning MSI region, DK will start in the Swiss Stage. They avoid the Play-In stage. They begin in Pool 4. They will face a Pool 1 team in Round 1.
Potential Opponents
DK’s Round 1 matchup is dangerous. They can play Anyone’s Legend, G2 Esports, or the LCS first seed. They dodge Gen.G Esports because teams from the same region can not face each other in Round 1.
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