When T1 stepped onto the stage to face Dplus KIA in the lower bracket of the LCK Cup 2026 playoffs, few expected the tournament favorites to be the ones fighting for survival. But by the end of the series, it was DK who defied every analyst prediction and achieved the impossible.
After losing against BFX, T1 was hungry for a rematch with them in the lower bracket LCK Cup finals in Hong Kong, and they started the first match with a dominating performance on Peyz’s iconic Zeri pick, and he carried the team across the line with a solid performance from the squad to keep DK in line. The tone remained the same in the next match as well.
DK opened the game with momentum as Lucid’s Lee Sin found early kills and impactful ganks across the map, giving his team a strong start. But with much of the gold funneled into the jungler, their primary carries were left without the resources needed to fully capitalize.
T1, meanwhile, stayed disciplined. They prioritized objectives, stacked dragons, and relied on Oner’s Pantheon and Peyz’s Yunara to anchor decisive teamfights. With cleaner coordination and solid scaling, T1 gradually chipped away at DK’s lead, closing out the game and pushing the series to match point.
With everything on the line for DK, they finally showed their best form in game three. For T1, they played their natural game, but Oner’s Kha’Zix didn’t work out for the squad. DK’s Lucid was quick on the trigger on the smites, and the team managed to shut down the enemy jungler to easily build leads and win teamfights. They eventually managed to crack the Nexus.
With the momentum shifting, T1 started game four on a strong foot, having a very good lead in the early game. However, DK understood their composition and played to their strengths, where they exploited the lack of range of their melee champions. They focused on objectives and crawled back into the game to win it all with the dragon soul.
With the final game, T1 started with a strong momentum, but DK maintained their composure in the match. Even though they lost the first two dragons, DK managed to secure the latter dragons with solid smites and won the teamfights to make history.
This is the first time T1 have been reverse-swept since their loss to KT in 2016, which happened before their rebrand to T1 from SKT T1 in 2019. It is also the first reverse sweep in Dplus KIA’s history, making the comeback even more significant for the organization.
With the victory, DK moves on to the lower bracket finals of the LCK Cup 2026, where they are set to take on BFX in Hong Kong. The winner will earn the right to face Gen.G, who have already locked in their spot at First Stand 2026, with a place in the cup final on the line.
