The 2026 LCK Cup begins Wednesday, Jan. 14, at Chijijik LoL Park in Seoul, launching a seven-week preseason tournament for Korea’s top League of Legends teams. Riot Games announced a slate of high-profile matchups for Week 1, including meetings between four teams that represented the LCK at the 2025 World Championship.

The opening week will feature two notable clashes between Worlds participants. T1 and Hanwha Life Esports are scheduled to meet on Thursday, Jan. 16, followed by KT Rolster facing Gen.G on Friday, Jan. 17, in a rematch of last year’s World Championship semifinal.

Hanwha Life Esports enters the tournament after significant roster changes. The organization, which won the inaugural LCK Cup in 2025, added former T1 AD carry Lee “Gumayusi” Min-hyeong and signed jungler Seo “Kanavi” Jin-hyeok to replace veteran Han “Peanut” Wang-ho. T1, meanwhile, retained its championship-winning core but filled the vacant bottom lane spot with Kim “Peyz” Su-hwan, previously of Gen.G.

KT Rolster and Gen.G’s meeting later in the week draws attention due to their recent international history. Gen.G kept its roster intact during the offseason, while KT retooled its bot lane by signing Kim “Aiming” Ha-ram and bringing back Jang “Ghost” Yong-jun, who returns from retirement in a support role.

2026 LCK Cup – Week 1 Preview

All matches in the LCK Cup will be played on Patch 26.01, which introduces several systemic changes expected to influence professional play. The update adds lane-based quests that reward players for staying in their assigned roles, alongside adjustments to turret growth and militia movement mechanics. Coaches have indicated these changes could place greater emphasis on macro-oriented decision-making over constant skirmishing.

The tournament also debuts operational changes, including a limited trial of Coach Voice, allowing coaches to communicate with players during group-stage matches. Riot Games is also implementing a new First Pick Priority system, giving teams the option to choose between side selection or draft priority rather than tying first pick exclusively to the blue side.

Week 1 of the 2026 LCK Cup runs from Jan. 14 through Jan. 19, with two matches scheduled each day. Matches will be broadcast live online, and in-person tickets will be available ahead of each matchday.