The LCK Cup Playoffs kicked off this Wednesday, February 12, at 9 AM CET with a Bo5 showdown between Nongshim RedForce and KT Rolster. NS delivered a dominant 3-0 sweep, eliminating KT and securing at least a Top 4 finish. They will next face either Dplus KIA or Gen.G, with DK having the privilege of choosing their opponent between NS and the winner of T1 vs. Hanwha Life Esports.

The first game was the closest between the two teams, though Nongshim still had the upper hand, largely thanks to Son "Lehends" Si-woo's Nautilus, who participated in 16 of his team's 17 kills. NS’s draft was easier to execute, and in a decisive midlane teamfight at the 35-minute mark, Jung "Jiwoo" Ji-woo’s Kai’Sa sealed the game in their favor.

Lehends MVP

Game two started with a slight advantage for NS, but nothing insurmountable. The match's defining moment was undoubtedly Hwang "Kingen" Seong-hoon’s stunning 1v3 against KT, where he secured a double kill and managed to survive. Han "Way" Gil even walked back toward the river after ulting with his Leona, seemingly convinced that his teammates had the fight under control. With this, NS secured a 2-0 lead, taking a commanding position in the BO5.

From the start, the third and final game was in Nongshim’s favor. AP junglers proved more effective for NS, as Kim "GIDEON" Min-seong dominated the game with his Lillia, impacting every part of the map and finishing with an impeccable 7/0/10 KDA (85% kill participation). Lehends also delivered a good performance on Rakan, contributing to 16 of NS’s 20 kills and earning the MVP title for the series.

The second match of the first round of playoffs will take place on Thursday, February 13, at 9 AM CET, featuring T1 and HLE. This Bo5 will also be an elimination match, with one of the two teams seeing their LCK Cup run come to an end.