T1 took Game 3 to move to match point. T1 won Game 3 of Round 3 in the 2026 LCK Playoffs Lower Bracket held at Chzzk LoL Park on the 6th, extending their set lead to 2-1. 'Faker' Lee Sang-hyeok's Locke led late-game teamfights to carry the team to victory.
The mid-lane matchup diverged from the very beginning. While T1 picked Locke, a champion with strong roaming potential, Dplus KIA responded with Viktor, aiming for late-game scaling. From early on, T1 actively impacted other lanes with Locke to bypass pure laning. Dplus KIA did not rush, as Viktor was scaling steadily in the mid lane with late-game carry power.
Dplus KIA widened the gap, backed by Viktor's scaling and a favorable matchup in the top lane. As time passed, the pressure mounted on T1. T1 boldly initiated fights, shutting down Viktor three times. Through this process, Locke caught up on scaling after lagging behind early, while Dplus KIA's champions accumulated deaths.
Ahead of the third Dragon, Dplus KIA engaged first. However, failing to secure an initial kill, momentum shifted back to T1. Joining late, 'Faker's Locke entered the chaotic battlefield and scored a triple kill. Following this teamfight, the gold lead expanded to 7,000.
Locke, who was behind early, regained full firepower while carrying a bounty. Leveraging his advanced scaling, 'Faker' eliminated Viktor in a single combo, and T1 seized complete control of the game from that fight onward. Overcoming fierce resistance from DK, T1 secured the Game 3 win.
