This Thursday, following Hanwha Life Esports' victory over T1 in the first round of the LCK Cup playoffs, the matchups for the next round were finalized. Undefeated in the Group Battle, Dplus KIA secured the top spot in the Elder Group and advanced directly to the upper bracket Round 2, where they had the privilege of selecting their opponent from the two teams advancing from round 1 of the playoffs. Heo “ShowMaker” Su’s squad had the choice between HLE and Nongshim RedForce, Wednesday’s victor over KT Rolster. Unsurprisingly, Dplus opted for the weaker opponent on paper, NS. The two teams, having come from the same group, have yet to face each other this season.

As a result, HLE will take on the other team that earned direct qualification to the semifinals, Gen.G. This matchup presents an opportunity for Jeong “Chovy” Ji-hoon and his teammates to seek revenge, as HLE dethroned Gen.G by defeating the four-time titleholders in the Summer 2024 final. The two sides have already crossed paths once this season, albeit in a lower-stakes encounter during the Group Battle, where Gen.G emerged victorious with a 2-0 win. However, that match marked the season opener for both teams, who have since had time to adapt to the new season.

A double elimination bracket

Starting from the second round, the LCK Cup will adopt a double-elimination format. The losers of these semifinal matchups will drop to the lower bracket, while the winners will advance to the upper bracket final, with a spot in the grand final on the line. The loser of the upper bracket final will then face the winner of the first lower bracket match for the second ticket to the grand final.

The showdown between Dplus KIA and Nongshim RedForce is set for Saturday at 7 a.m. CET, followed by the HLE vs. Gen.G matchup at the same time on Sunday. As a reminder, the winner of the LCK Cup will qualify for First Stand, the year’s first international event. For the South Korean teams, the tournament will take place on home soil, in the country’s capital, Seoul.