The inaugural 2025 LCK Cup, a new League of Legends esports tournament, is set to kick off on January 15 at the LCK Arena in Seoul’s LoL Park. This marks the first cup competition in LCK history, introducing fans to a unique drafting system called the Fearless Draft. This system bans all champions selected by both teams in the previous set from being used in the following set, creating a dynamic strategic landscape.

The tournament will feature ten teams split into two groups: the Baron Group and the Elder Group. Teams were selected based on last year’s Summer Split standings. Hanwha Life Esports, the top-ranked team, and Gen.G, the runner-up, served as group representatives and selected their group members using a snake-draft format.

As a result, the Baron Group includes Hanwha Life Esports, T1, BNK PX, DK Freecs, and OK Savings Bank BRION. Meanwhile, the Elder Group comprises Gen.G, Dplus KIA, KT Rolster, Nongshim RedForce, and DRX. Matches will be conducted in a best-of-three, single round-robin format.

Group performance will be cumulative, with the top three teams from the winning group advancing directly to the playoffs. The remaining three playoff spots will be determined through a play-in stage, which involves the 4th and 5th place teams from the winning group and the top four teams from the losing group.

The play-in stage employs a semi-double elimination format, with seeding determined by individual match wins. The first round is a single-elimination tournament, followed by double elimination from the second round onward. Three teams will advance to the playoffs: two winners from the second round and one winner from the final play-in round.

The playoffs also adopt a semi-double elimination structure. The top two teams from the winning group will bypass the first round, while the 3rd-place team and three play-in qualifiers will compete in the first round. Teams losing in the first round will be eliminated, while the second round onward follows a double-elimination format to determine the champion.

The ultimate winner of the 2025 LCK Cup will secure a spot as LCK’s representative in the newly established First Stand Tournament, an international competition debuting later this year.

The tournament begins with a clash between OK Savings Bank BRION and DRX on January 15 at 5 PM KST. The grand finals are scheduled for February 23. Matches will be streamed online, with games starting at 5 PM on weekdays and 3 PM on weekends, ensuring fans worldwide can catch the action live.

Sayart / Jack Lee, wangjb77@gmail.com