Nongshim KT D-plus, two LCK teams to compete in MSI, have confirmed their advance to road-to-MSI
May 25, 2025
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With Gen.G, who confirmed the first place in the first and second rounds, and Hanwha Life e-Sports and T1, which are fiercely competing for second place, already qualified for the playoffs, Nongshim and KT beat OK Savings Bank Brion and BNK Pierx 2-1 in the second round of the '2025 League of Legends Champions Korea" (LCK) at LCK Arena in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 25th, respectively, securing at least sixth place regardless of the remaining two games.
Prior to this, D-Plus beat Hanwha Life Insurance on the 24th and returned to the 50% winning rate with 8 wins and 8 losses, and as OK Savings Bank and BNK lost on the same day, it also secured at least 6th place.
Both Nongshim and KT were on the verge of losing by giving up one set each in the game, but they showed their back-scoring ability to catch two or three sets in a row. Nongshim has been at the bottom of the list for the past three years, but it has taken the center stage by recruiting Hwang Sung-hoon and Son Si-woo from the FA market ahead of this season, and has enjoyed the joy of playing in the playoffs for the first time in four years since 2021 based on the growth of 「Calix" Sun Hyun-bin and" Ji-woo" Jung Ji-woo, who were raised in the second division.
KT was also in crisis in the first round, falling to the bottom, but after entering the second round, it has gained momentum for six consecutive wins so far, especially by completely reviving the reputation of a representative five-team by beating Nongshim, who is fighting in the mid-range, 2-1 on the 23rd.
With only a week left in the second round, the last point to watch is whether Gen.G. will be able to record the first two-round victory (18 wins) and which team will take second place, Hanwha Life Insurance or T1. In particular, in the case of second place, they can determine the number one seed to represent MSI through the best-of-five series against Gen.G, and even if they lose, they have a huge advantage to take another chance in the fourth round. If they finish third, they must win after competing with the winning team in the second round in the third round, so that they can compete with the loser of the first and second-place teams in the third round to determine the LCK second seed to play in the MSI.
Coincidentally, Hanwha Life and T1 are scheduled to face off on the 28th. If Hanwha Life Insurance wins on this day, it will unconditionally take second place, but if T1 wins, it will be tied with 12 wins and 5 losses each, and the game will be decided in the final match. Hanwha Life Insurance is in a somewhat advantageous situation as it meets BNK, which has already been confirmed to be eliminated from the playoffs on June 1, and T1 meets Nongshim, who is in the midst of a ranking battle, on the 30th. Meanwhile, Nongshim, KT, and D-Plus are also scheduled to compete until the end for the fourth place that will go straight to the second round.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
