The first week of the 2026 LCK Cup playoffs is set to take place from Thursday the 12th to Sunday the 15th at the Chzzk LoL Park in Jongno-gu, Seoul. The playoffs are drawing significant attention, featuring key matchups including a grudge match where the play-in sensation, DN Supers, looks to settle the score against the Elder Group leaders, BNK FearX.

DN Supers emerged as the surprise package of the play-ins. They dismantled KT Rolster 2-0 in the first round, avenging their group stage loss, and despite dropping the first set to Nongshim RedForce in the second round, they secured their playoff spot by winning the next two. Notably, in the first set against KT, they showcased their resilience by overturning a game where they had lost three inhibitors and trailed by 10,000 gold, effectively erasing the disappointment from the LCK Cup group stage.

Having swept through the play-ins, DN Supers' next hurdle is the 'Elder Group' leader, BNK FearX. BNK FearX focused on empowering their bottom laner 'Diable' Nam Dae-geun throughout the early stages of the LCK Cup, with Nam earning the 'Gold King' title in the first week. BNK FearX secured their direct ticket to the playoffs by defeating every team in the group stage except for Gen.G and T1.

Following the play-ins, BNK FearX selected DN Supers as their first playoff opponent. The two teams previously faced off in the best-of-five 'Super Week', where BNK FearX won 3-1. While BNK FearX is expected to have the upper hand, attention is focused on whether DN Supers, who are considered to have improved their performance through the play-ins, can produce a different result than in Super Week.

BNK FearX's selection also set the stage for a rematch between Dplus KIA and DRX. Dplus KIA demonstrated their prowess as a top seed by sweeping DRX 2-0 in the second round of the play-ins. Finishing the group stage with a 3-2 record and placing second in the Elder Group, Dplus KIA maintained consistent performance by defeating all opponents except Gen.G and T1. However, having confirmed the gap with top-tier teams after a 0-3 loss to T1 in Super Week, they are in a position to prove their worth as the second-place team in the Elder Group in their first playoff match.

DRX finished the group stage in third place with a 2-3 record but is on an upward trajectory after a 3-0 demolition of Nongshim RedForce in the play-in final. However, Dplus KIA has been a 'wall of lament' for DRX. Since their victory in the 2022 LCK Summer Round 2, DRX has recorded 15 consecutive losses against Dplus KIA in the LCK, including a 0-2 defeat in this LCK Cup play-in. Attention is focused on whether DRX can show a different side in this best-of-five series, or if Dplus KIA will extend their winning streak to 16.

The 2026 LCK Cup playoffs will kick off on Thursday the 12th with the match between BNK FearX and DN Supers. This will be followed by Dplus KIA vs. DRX on Friday the 13th. The second round of the winners' bracket is scheduled for Saturday the 14th and Sunday the 15th. The 1st seed, Gen.G, and the 2nd seed, T1, have already advanced to the second round. Gen.G will choose one of the winners from the matches on the 12th and 13th to play on the 14th, while T1 will face the remaining team on the 15th.

The 2026 LCK Cup playoffs will be held at Chzzk LoL Park from the 12th to the 15th, and from Thursday the 19th to Sunday the 22nd, with all matches played in a best-of-five double-elimination format. A total of six teams—Gen.G, T1, BNK FearX, Dplus KIA, DN Supers, and DRX—have advanced to the playoffs. The semi-finals are scheduled for Saturday the 28th, and the final will take place at the Kai Tak Arena in Hong Kong on Sunday, March 1st. All matches will be broadcast live via online platforms such as Chzzk and SOOP.