Gen.G was named the favourite to win the 2026 League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) regular season after receiving nine votes from rival head coaches during the league’s season-opening Media Day.

According to a release, Riot Games hosted the event on March 26th at the LCK Arena in Chzzk LoL Park in Seoul, bringing together coaches and players from all ten teams ahead of the regular season’s start on April 1st.

The LCK is South Korea’s top professional League of Legends competition and one of the game’s leading regional leagues. The 2026 regular season is set to run in a single-season format, with teams competing from April to September.

Among those in attendance were Yoo Sang-wook, Head Coach of Gen.G, alongside mid laner Jeong ‘Chovy’ Ji-hoon; Lim Jae-hyun, Acting Head Coach of T1, with Lee ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok; and Yoon Sung-young, Head Coach of Hanwha Life Esports, with Lee ‘Gumayusi’ Min-hyung.

According to the release, all nine opposing head coaches selected Gen.G as the team most likely to win the regular season. Coaches reportedly pointed to the team’s individual quality across all positions, as well as its ability to avoid mistakes. Yoo, however, named T1 as his own title pick, describing it as a team that consistently performed well regardless of circumstances.

Several players also used the event to outline ambitions beyond domestic competition. BNK FEARX player Nam ‘Diable’ Dae-geun said his goal was not only to win the regular season, but also to reach the League of Legends World Championship.

Meanwhile, Gumayusi said Hanwha Life Esports aimed to go undefeated through the opening two rounds and qualify for the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI), which is scheduled to take place in Daejeon.

Teams reflected on earlier results

The Media Day also included discussion around teams that had struggled in previous competitions, including the LCK Cup and First Stand.

According to the release, Yoo and Chovy said Gen.G had been disappointed by its lack of flexibility in the draft during earlier events. BNK FEARX Head Coach Park Jun-seok also reflected on his team’s loss to G2 Esports, noting that the atmosphere had dipped after dropping the second game of the series. Park added that a lengthy feedback session followed the defeat and led to a number of productive discussions within the team.

Hanwha Life Esports, which had also been asked about its form after an underwhelming LCK Cup run, struck a more optimistic tone. Gumayusi said the team’s performance and synergy had improved by around 20% since that event and added that it was ready to show more in the regular season.

LCK highlighted roadshow plans for 2026

Before the Media Day began, Lee Jung-hoon, Secretary-General of the LCK, outlined plans to expand fan engagement through more live events across South Korea and abroad. According to the release, Lee described 2026 as “the year of roadshows” following the LCK’s first overseas roadshow in Hong Kong earlier this year.

The league said upcoming tentpole events would include the ‘Road to MSI’ qualifier in Wonju, MSI in Daejeon and the 2026 LCK Finals at Seoul’s KSPO Dome. Lee said: “Through team roadshows, we will expand our touchpoints with both domestic and international fans and strive to develop the LCK into global premium content that can be enjoyed by all generations.”

The 2026 LCK regular season is set to begin on April 1st with a match between Hanwha Life Esports and Hanwha Brion. Matches will take place from Wednesday to Sunday, with two series played each day. According to the release, matches will air on streaming platforms including Chzzk and SOOP, while tickets for live attendance will be sold through NOL Ticket beginning nine days before each match.