Look, let us be honest, the LCK regular season has finally wrapped up, and we are hurtling straight into the chaos of the play-ins and playoffs.

The play-in stage kicks off on August 26, featuring a best-of-five clash between Legend Group fifth-place KT Rolster and Rise Group top dog Han Jin BRION. The victors will secure a direct ticket to the playoffs as the fifth seed.

KT Rolster spent the first half of the regular season looking comfortable near the top, only to suffer a disastrous six-match losing streak right at the death, finishing fifth in the Legend Group. Meanwhile, Han Jin BRION matched Nongshim RedForce and BNK FearX with a 10-16 record, but squeaked into first place in the Rise Group thanks to a superior game differential. Both squads traded 2-0 sweeps during the regular season, meaning they are practically inseparable on paper. The loser will get a second bite at the cherry on August 28 against the winner of the Nongshim RedForce and BNK FearX bout for that final playoff lifeline.

Over on August 27, Rise Group runner-up Nongshim RedForce faces off against third-place BNK FearX. The pair literally just traded blows four days ago in their regular season finale. Back then, BNK FearX drew first blood by taking map one, but Nongshim RedForce bounced right back with consecutive wins to complete a 2-1 reverse sweep, swapping their regular season standings in the process. Whoever drops this upcoming match is heading straight home to pack their bags for the year.

The two survivors of the play-ins will dive straight into Round 1 of the playoffs starting August 29. T1, sitting pretty as third in the Legend Group, gets the cheeky privilege of picking their opponent from the play-in graduates, leaving Dplus KIA to take whatever is left. Over at the top, Legend Group champions Gen.G and Hanwha Life Esports are chilling with a direct bye to Round 2, where Gen.G will handpick one of the Round 1 victors to dance with.

Six teams will battle it out in a double-elimination playoff bracket, culminating in the ultimate showdown at the KSPO Dome for the finals. You can catch every single moment of the 2026 LCK play-ins and playoffs streamed live on platforms like CHZZK and SOOP, while in-person tickets can be grabbed via NOL Ticket.