The LCK Cup Play-in, held from the 6th to the 8th, served up a proper shocker. DN Supers and DRX, both considered underdogs, defeated KT Rolster and Nongshim RedForce to secure their spots in the playoffs. DN Supers, in particular, looked like an entirely different beast during their match against KT on the 7th, overturning a massive 10,000 gold deficit to snatch a victory that had everyone talking.

There was also a rather poetic symmetry to the proceedings, with players from both DN Supers and DRX knocking out their former teams to climb the bracket. 'Deokdam' and 'Peter', now at DN Supers, took down their old squads KT and Nongshim, while DRX's 'Rich' and 'Jiwoo' also overcame their former team, Nongshim, to secure the final playoff ticket. It was a week defined by that classic, gritty narrative: the determination to dismantle the team that let you go.