The 2025 LCK Cup, the first-ever official cup tournament in LCK history, saw Elder Group claim victory over Baron Group after securing 13 wins in a decisive showdown. Leading the charge were Dplus KIA, Gen.G, and DRX, who collectively outperformed their opponents in the second week of competition at LoL Park in Seoul.
Dplus KIA emerged as the strongest force, finishing with a flawless 4-0 record, making them the only undefeated team among the ten participants. After defeating T1 and DN Freaks in Week 1, they continued their dominance in Week 2 by securing victories over BNK PX and Hanwha Life Esports. Their matches were not without challenges, particularly against BNK PX, where ShowMaker (Heo Su) carried Game 1 on Ahri before the team faltered in Game 2. However, ShowMaker’s Zoe in Game 3 secured their win. Against Hanwha Life Esports, Lucid (Choi Yong Hyuk) led the way with Nidalee in Game 1, but the team stumbled in Game 2 before bouncing back in Game 3 with Kindred, sealing another hard-fought victory.
Supporting Dplus KIA’s success, Gen.G and DRX each finished with 3-1 records. Gen.G suffered an early 0-2 defeat against OK Savings Bank BRION but recovered with a dominant 2-0 win over DN Freaks. DRX, meanwhile, edged out DN Freaks (January 22) and BNK PX (January 24) in full three-game sets, placing them alongside Gen.G in the standings. The final blow came from KT Rolster, who secured the Elder Group’s 13th win with a 2-0 victory over OK Savings Bank BRION, confirming their group’s triumph.
With Elder Group winning the group stage, their teams now shift focus to internal rankings. The top three teams will advance directly to the playoffs, while the 4th and 5th seeds will compete in the play-in stage. Dplus KIA, as the only undefeated team, has already secured a direct playoff spot. Meanwhile, in the Baron Group, T1 showed resilience, notably defeating KT Rolster in the Telecom Derby on January 24 and taking down Nongshim RedForce on January 26. With a 3-1 record, T1 topped their group and secured a play-in berth.
As Elder Group celebrates its victory, attention now shifts to Baron Group’s relegation battle. The lowest-ranked team will be eliminated before the play-in stage, and BNK PX currently sits in last place with a 0-4 record. Despite roster changes, including the addition of BigRaa (Lee Dae Kwang) and Kellin (Kim Hyung Gyu), their inability to close out crucial matches has put them in a dangerous position. OK Savings Bank BRION and DN Freaks, both with 1-3 records, are also at risk, setting up a three-way fight for survival. The upcoming matchups will be critical—BNK PX faces Nongshim RedForce, while DN Freaks battles KT Rolster, and OK Savings Bank BRION takes on undefeated Dplus KIA.
Adding to the tournament’s highlights, OK Savings Bank BRION’s bot laner, Hype (Byun Jeong Hyun), was named Week 2’s Gold King, recording an average gold of 17,071.5 per match. He narrowly edged out Hanwha Life Esports’ Viper (Park Do Hyun), who finished with 17,043.8, making him the highest-earning player in terms of in-game gold per set. With only one week left in the group stage, teams are now racing toward the playoffs while those at the bottom fight to stay alive.
Sayart / Jack Lee, wangjb77@gmail.com
