With a strong performance from Ryu "Keria" Min-seok, T1 comfortably defeat Nongshim RedForce (NS) and secure a spot in the Playoffs, while Hanwha Life Esports (HLE) take down DRX, sending them to the Play-In Finals against NS.

The T1 show

A one-sided BO3 secured by a decisive and determined T1, eager to take on the teams awaiting them in the Playoffs. Game one kicked off with a botlane double kill for Sin "Smash" Guem-jae on his Miss Fortune, allowing the rookie AD carry to snowball the game perfectly—once again justifying T1's coaching staff's decision to place their trust in him for this LCK Cup. Game two showcased synergy between Mun "Oner" Hyeon-jun and Keria, highlighted by Oner’s inSec play, knocking Kim "Gideon" Min-seong’s Viego straight into Pyke’s Bone Skewer. The world champions will face HLE in the first round of the Playoffs, marking Choi "Zeus" Woo-je’s first encounter with his former team since joining Hanwha.

HLE struggled but reached Playoffs

The second BO3 of the day was a much closer contest between DRX and HLE. Game one started well for DRX, with Moon "Andil" Gwan-bin securing an early triple kill on his Elise, setting up Park "Teddy" Jin-seong for a strong carry potential. However, Han "Peanut" Wang-ho, on his signature Nidalee, maintained excellent control over the game, allowing Kim "Zeka" Geon-woo to scale comfortably on his Corki—a champion highly favored in the LCK—and ultimately securing the first win for HLE.

Game two of the BO3 was anything but easy for HLE. Despite a strong start from Peanut and his teammates, a Herald steal by Bae "Sponge" Young-jun followed by a well-executed teamfight allowed DRX to turn the tide. Hanwha needed a standout performance from Park "Viper" Do-Hyeon (boasting an 84% kill participation on his Varus) to secure the win, closing out the game with a Pentakill from Zeka’s Galio—marking the third-ever Pentakill for Galio in competitive play.

NS and DRX still have a chance to qualify for the Playoffs. They will face off on February 9th at 7 AM CET in a decisive BO5, with the winner advancing to play KT Rolster in the Playoffs.