The 2025 LCK Cup Playoffs are set to kick off this week, with one of the most anticipated matchups taking place on February 13. T1 and Hanwha Life Esports, who previously competed in the Baron Group during the group stage, will face off in a do-or-die match, drawing significant attention from League of Legends esports fans.

The League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) announced that the playoffs will run from February 12 to 16 at the LCK Arena in LoL Park, Jongno, Seoul. As the playoffs follow a single-elimination format, the losing team in each match will be eliminated, raising the stakes for all participating teams.

Recent head-to-head records favor Hanwha Life Esports. During the 2024 LCK Summer season, Hanwha Life won 10 out of 12 sets against T1. They secured a dominant 4-1 record in the regular season and a commanding 6-1 victory in the postseason, demonstrating clear superiority in past encounters. With this advantage, Hanwha Life Esports aims to continue its dominance over T1. Mid laner Kim Geon Woo, known as “Zeka,” and ADC Park Do Hyun, “Viper,” have both been in outstanding form, with Zeka recently earning Player of the Match honors twice. Following their victory against DRX, Zeka commented, “T1 is a team that excels in team fights,” hinting at their preparation for the upcoming battle.

Meanwhile, T1 is expected to center its strategy around ADC Shin Geum Jae, “Smash,” who has been performing exceptionally well in the LCK Cup. With an average of 6.25 kills per game, he closely trails Hanwha Life’s Viper and ranks second in key offensive statistics. Additionally, legendary mid-laner Lee Sang Hyeok, “Faker,” continues to be a crucial part of T1’s strategy, demonstrating strong performances with champions such as Viktor and Galio while also expanding his champion pool to include Aurora and Yone. The matchup between Faker and Zeka is expected to be a key battleground in the upcoming match.

Adding further intrigue, the top lane battle will see two players who swapped teams during the recent stove league. Choi Woo Je, “Zeus,” now playing for Hanwha Life Esports, will go head-to-head against Choi Hyun Joon, “Doran,” who joined T1. Both players have integrated well into their respective new teams, making their individual performances a focal point of this high-stakes encounter.

All LCK Cup playoff matches will follow a best-of-five (Bo5) format, with the Fearless Draft system remaining in place. This unique draft rule increases the strategic complexity of champion selections, requiring coaching staff and players to carefully adapt their picks throughout the series. The recent play-in match between Nongshim RedForce and DRX on February 10 demonstrated the impact of this format, as it became the first Bo5 series in LCK history to fully implement the Fearless Draft system. Although the match concluded in four games with Nongshim’s victory, fans witnessed the first appearances of Aphelios and Senna in this tournament, along with lesser-seen picks such as Orianna, Taliyah, and Ornn.

Following the match, Nongshim RedForce’s head coach Park Seung Jin commented, “From Game 4 onward, with many champions permanently banned, it felt like all the strong picks were disappearing. At that point, we focused more on building a strong composition rather than prioritizing champion tiers.” His remarks underscore the importance of drafting flexibility in a Bo5 series under the Fearless Draft system.

As the playoffs progress, teams will need to leverage both individual player skills and strategic drafting to succeed. With the growing complexity of champion selection, the role of the coaching staff in countering opponent strategies will be just as crucial as in-game performances.

The 2025 LCK Cup Playoffs will be streamed live on platforms such as SOOP, Naver Esports & Games, and YouTube’s LCK channel. Matches will begin at 5:00 PM KST on weekdays and 3:00 PM KST on weekends, with tickets available for in-person viewing via Interpark 48 hours before each match.

Sayart / Jack Lee, wangjb77@gmail.com