From the first week of the opening of the LCK regular season, it is expected that there will be a series of games that can determine the top rankings as major matchups gather.
The match between T1 and KT Rolster, scheduled as the second game on the 1st, is the matchup that catches the eye first in week 1. The two teams have been called mobile carrier rivals for a long time and have created a famous match, and created a close match in full sets in the 2025 World Championship finals.
T1 has the upper hand in the two teams’ overall record against each other, and in the most recent match, the 2026 LCK Cup, T1 won 2-0. In particular, in the second set, T1 was behind by more than 10,000 in global gold, but turned the tide and achieved a comeback victory by winning the Elder Dragon battle. As T1 defeated KT Rolster in the last two games, there is keen interest in whether the same result will be seen in the match between the two teams on the opening day.
After their showdown with KT Rolster, T1 faces Hanwha Life Esports in the most notable match of the week, ‘Saturday Showdown’. Hanwha Life Esports has top laner Choi “Zeus” Woo-jae and bottom laner Min-hyeong “Kumayushi” Min, who previously played for T1. In particular, Lee Min-hyung was selected as the final MVP in recognition of his performance at the 2025 World Championship.
This match between the two teams is also the first stage where we can see how much the two teams have improved their level of completion since the roster changes and the end of the LCK Cup. When asked about team chemistry at the recent LCK opening media day, Lee Min-hyung evaluated that the team’s performance had improved by about 20% compared to the LCK Cup.
On the other hand, in response to a similar question, T1’s mid laner Sang-hyeok “Faker” Sang-hyeok said that although he is working well with his new teammates, there are still some shortcomings. As such, this match between T1 and Hanwha Life Esports is expected to be a watershed moment in which the performance of the two teams can be gauged and, at the same time, the fate of the top teams in the early season can be predicted.
Reporter Kim Yong-woo (kenzi@dailyesports.com)