In the third stage of the LCK playoffs, only one BO5 match remains. On the previous matchday, KT, who were swept by HLE and dropped to the losers' bracket, faced GEN, a team they had previously defeated. Before the match, many hoped KT could pull off a Cinderella run and upset GEN again, but this time BDD disappointed the audience. Not only did they fail to beat GEN, they were completely dominated as if they were bots, losing all three games without resistance.

A brief recap of this BO5: In game one, KT had an early advantage, with Chovy securing first blood. The teams exchanged objective control mid-game, but when KT tried to contest the dragon, BDD made a critical mistake by flashing into a wall, leading to a team collapse. KT lost the small dragon and then the Baron. With Baron buff, GEN pushed hard, extending their gold lead to 10,000 and effectively deciding the match.

In game two, BDD confidently picked Akali, eager to show his skills. However, at 9 minutes, he overextended and was counter-killed by Chovy. After Talon gained the lead, he quickly assisted teammates to open the map. During team fights, Aatrox secured multiple kills and seemed unstoppable. By 28 minutes, GEN had fully pushed into KT’s base. In the final game, KT went with a double AP comp featuring Ziggs. The early game was back and forth, but a mid-game team fight exploded in GEN’s favor.

At the 13-minute dragon fight, KT had already secured the dragon and could have disengaged by sacrificing a support, but they insisted on fighting GEN. The strangest part was when Chovy used E to enter the dragon pit, and the jungle-mid-support trio waited inside for Yone to join. They were then knocked up by Alistar’s W-Q combo, causing KT to collapse instantly. GEN won the fight 4-for-1, gaining a major advantage. The match was decided as KT’s base was destroyed just past 30 minutes.

KT failed to gain any lane advantages across all three lanes, and their team fight positioning was chaotic. Every engagement saw their formation split apart, allowing GEN to win fights even when outnumbered. It seems KT’s earlier upper bracket semifinal win over GEN involved some luck. At that time, Sanshu and his teammates played aggressively, disrupting everyone’s rhythm, but ultimately it was their own close friend Xuxiu who suffered the most.

Had GEN defeated KT earlier, and then DK faced KT, there might have been a real chance to qualify for Worlds. It can only be said that Xuge was set up by Sanshu. After losing to GEN, KT’s playoff rank settled at third seed for Worlds. Although they couldn’t push further, this result is respectable, especially since most assumed DK would be one of the LCK’s Worlds representatives.

After GEN’s victory over KT, they have advanced to the finals. If they win against HLE in the next match, GEN will claim the number one seed from LCK; otherwise, they will be the second seed. Judging by both teams’ current form, this BO5 will likely go the distance. The ultimate winner is probably GEN. Despite their earlier slip, GEN remains the strongest team in LCK, and HLE will find it tough to win.

Top laner Kiin has been performing increasingly well lately, even Zeus struggles against him. Sanshu and Peanut seem evenly matched, both prone to mistakes, though Peanut’s floor is slightly higher. The biggest gap lies in the mid lane: Zeka has been inconsistent this year, although recently improving, but facing Chovy is still very challenging. As for the bot lanes, honestly, they are evenly matched, with both AD carries showing strong skills.

Conclusion:

From being underestimated to securing the third seed in LCK, KT has been quite a surprise this year. However, after BDD’s last burnout, his recent form has dipped. It remains uncertain whether he will recover by Worlds. The finals between HLE and GEN should be the highest quality match in LCK this year. It’s yet to be seen if HLE can upset GEN this time.

So, what do you think? Can HLE win?

Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments!