Source: Riot Games

Having snapped a long 21-match losing streak against Gen.G, Dplus KIA is set to face kt Rolster and T1 in succession during Week 3. Meanwhile, Hanwha Life Esports and Gen.G, the leaders of the Elder and Baron groups during the LCK Cup, will clash in the 'Saturday Showdown.'

Riot Games, the organizer of the League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK)—the Korean professional league for League of Legends (LoL)—announced that the third week of the 2026 LCK regular season will take place from Wednesday the 15th to Sunday the 19th at the LCK Arena, located at LoL PARK in Jongno-gu, Seoul.

○ Dplus KIA, Fresh Off a Win Over Gen.G, Takes on kt Rolster and T1

Dplus KIA, which secured its first victory against Gen.G in five years, will face kt Rolster on Wednesday the 15th and T1 on Friday the 17th. Although they defeated Gen.G, both matches in Week 3 are against top-tier teams, making this a critical test for Dplus KIA to maintain its position in the upper ranks.

Their first opponent in Week 3 is kt Rolster, who is riding an 'all-time' high with a 4-0 start—their best opening run in about nine years since 2017. If Dplus KIA, currently 2-2, can take down kt Rolster, they could effectively close the gap with the league leaders.

The top laners are expected to be the key to both teams' success. kt Rolster's 'Perfect' Lee Seung-min and Dplus KIA's 'Siwoo' Jeon Si-woo frequently create opportunities to seize control with aggressive picks. The duel between these two young top laners will be a major point of interest in this matchup.

Following the match against kt Rolster, Dplus KIA will meet T1. The two teams are currently tied 1-1 in their 2026 head-to-head record. After a 0-3 loss to T1 during the 2026 LCK Cup 'Super Week,' Dplus KIA pulled off a reverse sweep in the playoffs to secure their ticket to Hong Kong. If Dplus KIA can defeat kt Rolster and T1 following their win over Gen.G, their upcoming schedule is expected to become much more manageable.

While this is a crucial week for the team to solidify its spot in the upper ranks, it is also worth noting that Dplus KIA's mid laner 'ShowMaker' Heo Su is on the verge of a major milestone. Heo currently has 697 career LCK games under his belt and is just three sets away from reaching 700. If he plays all scheduled matches this week, he will become the fourth mid laner in history to join the '700-game club,' following T1's 'Faker' Lee Sang-hyeok, kt Rolster's 'Bdd' Kwak Bo-seong, and Gen.G's 'Chovy' Jung Ji-hun. Defeating veteran mid laners like Lee Sang-hyeok and Kwak Bo-seong on the path to this milestone would be a significant boost for both Dplus KIA and their franchise star, 'ShowMaker' Heo Su.

○ Hanwha Life Esports and Gen.G Meet Again After LCK Cup Super Week

On Saturday the 18th, the 'Saturday Showdown' will feature a match between Hanwha Life Esports and Gen.G. While this is their first meeting in the 2026 LCK regular season, the two teams previously faced off during the LCK Cup Super Week as leaders of the Baron and Elder groups. At that time, Gen.G swept Hanwha Life Esports 3-0, a loss that left Hanwha Life Esports at the bottom of the Elder group and prevented them from advancing to the Play-In stage.

This rematch takes place in a different atmosphere. Although Hanwha Life Esports ended their LCK Cup run with a disappointing elimination in the group stage, they have stabilized their position in the upper ranks with a 3-1 record through the first two weeks of the regular season. Conversely, Gen.G showed their potential by defeating T1 2-0 in Week 2, but they are currently reeling from a 0-2 loss to Dplus KIA.

Comparing recent performances, Hanwha Life Esports currently holds the edge over Gen.G. Hanwha Life Esports has been praised for their improved team coordination. Jungler 'Kanavi' Seo Jin-hyeok has shown peak form, notably using Kha'zix to dictate the pace of games, and each laner is effectively making their presence felt. In contrast, Gen.G has shown signs of instability. Head coach Yoo Sang-wook assessed the team's current performance in an interview, stating, "We made many mistakes in favorable moments, and our pick-ban strategy was not perfect."

The 2026 LCK regular season features two matches per day, Wednesday through Sunday. All matches are broadcast live via online platforms such as Chzzk (link) and SOOP (link). Tickets for in-person viewing can be purchased via NOL Ticket, with sales opening 216 hours (9 days) before each match.