KT Rolster barely got past HANJIN BRION in the LCK Play-Ins. They play Dplus KIA in Round 1 of the Playoffs. KT needs to ascend if they want to beat DK and advance to Round 2. Their tournament life is not on the line. But they need to gain momentum if they want a chance at the World Championship. DK are the favorites, but will they crumble under the pressure?
Recent Match History and LCK Records
DK and KT have met six times in 2026: four best-of-threes, one best-of-five, and one best-of-one in the Kespa Cup. KT won the first four meetings of the year, which included the best-of-five and best-of-one. DK won the last two during Rounds 3-4.
DK had the best record in the LCK Legend Group. They started in last place in the Legend Group, but went 6-2 to end tied with T1 on series score. KT went 2-6 during Rounds 3-4. They are coming off a series victory against HANJIN BRION in the Play-ins.
Featured Matchup
ShowMaker Versus Bdd
KT is always at their best when Bdd is in form. They will need him to get an advantage in the mid matchup if they want to win. ShowMaker is not the star on DK. The players around him often make the carry plays. He is the stable part of DK. He must play stable and consistent to keep Bdd quiet. If his bot lane and top lane have the space to maneuver, they should win in isolation.
Which DK Shows Up?
DK thrives on confidence. Their play can shift dramatically from day to day. More recently, they have been on the upswing. Winning EWC and going 6-2 in Rounds 3-4 proves that. However, there is one concern. Their two series losses in the latter part of the LCK showed weakness. They collapsed against both T1 and Hanwha Life Esports. Those matches showed signs of DK from the past couple of years. They bounced back from both losses. The most recent being a 2-1 victory over Gen.G Esports. If we see the confident DK, they will likely run away with the series. However, one slip-up may make this series closer than it should be.
KT Breaking the Streak
KT broke their series losing streak with the win over HANJIN BRION. However, they must break the loss streak against Legend teams if they want to progress. KT has also lost the past two series against DK. They come in as the underdogs. However, KT thrives as the underdog. Countless times in recent months, they defied the odds to beat other LCK teams. They can do it again, but the pieces are not there yet. Cuzz and Bdd must fire on all cylinders if they stand a chance of making a deep playoff run. The World Championship is in their sights, but DK is a formidable opponent to get past.
Dplus KIA Versus KT Rolster Prediction
Dplus KIA 3-1 KT Rolster
Based on recent results, DK is the favorite. However, that can be a worrying sign. DK tends to underperform with high expectations, while KT overperforms with no expectations. The series will come down to the mid-lane impact and whether Jiwoo and Effort stand up to Smash and Career. Only Gumayusi+Delight and Peyz+Keira have knocked Smash and Career down a peg in recent series. Without control in the bot lane, Cuzz and Bdd will struggle to carry the map.
Awaiting Selection
The series winner advances to Round 2. They will face either Gen.G Esports or Hanwha Life Esports. The loser is not eliminated. They will battle FearX in an elimination series next week.
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