The 2025 LCK regular season enters its final week with the battle for second place taking center stage. Hanwha Life eSports holds the runner-up spot at 10–4, just one match ahead of T1 at 9–5. Their head-to-head clash on May 28 will go a long way toward determining which squad earns the right to challenge Gen.G for the top seed at the Mid-Season Invitational representative series on June 13 at Busan’s Sajik Indoor Gymnasium.

Hanwha Life eSports arrives after consecutive setbacks against Gen.G and Dplus KIA, while T1 rebounded from its loss to Gen.G by sweeping BNK PEACE and DRX in dominant fashion. In their first-round encounter, Hanwha Life eSports defeated T1 2–0, giving them a slight edge in momentum. A loss for Hanwha Life followed by a defeat at the hands of BNK PEACE could see them drop to third, whereas back-to-back victories for T1 would secure solo second regardless of Hanwha Life’s final results.

Beyond the top two, the fight for the upper-playoff bracket remains intense. Nongshim RedForce (9–7) sits fourth and will face T1 and Dplus KIA in Week 9, with each outcome having ripple effects on both their own positioning and that of their opponents. kt Rolster can still claim fourth outright but must first topple an undefeated Gen.G—a daunting task that could determine whether they finish as high as fourth or fall as low as sixth. Dplus KIA, currently sixth at 8–8, needs victories over DRX and Nongshim RedForce to climb into the upper tier; a single misstep will lock them into the lowest seed for the qualifier.

In Week 8, Gen.G’s veteran AD carry Park “Ruler” Jae-hyuk led the league in average gold per match, earning his first Player of the Match distinction alongside the Gold King honor. The weekly accolade, sponsored by Woori Bank, awards silver coins and feeds into an end-of-season race for an annual gold bar prize. Fans can predict the next Gold King via the Woori Bank Won Banking app for a chance to win signed memorabilia.