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KT Rolster left absolutely no room for doubt on August 30, dismantling Dplus KIA in a clean 3-0 sweep during the Upper Bracket Round 1 of the 2026 LCK Playoffs. The series, held at Chzzk LoL Park in Jongno, Seoul, was supposed to be competitive. It was not.
The result sends KT Rolster into the second round of the double-elimination bracket while Dplus KIA drops to the lower bracket, where one more loss means elimination. For a team that entered as the fourth seed from the Legend Group regular season, that’s a rough way to start the postseason.
PerfecT lives up to the name
Game 1 set the tone for what became a one-sided afternoon. KT’s top laner PerfecT pulled out a surprise Trundle pick that caught Dplus KIA off guard and proved nearly impossible to answer. The pick wasn’t just for show: it anchored KT’s entire strategy, giving them a split-push threat that forced Dplus into uncomfortable rotations all game long.
Beyond the champion select mind games, KT’s execution was sharp across the board. Their team fighting was crisp, their aggro juggling around contested objectives looked rehearsed to the second, and their Dragon control proved decisive.
The road to this point
KT Rolster’s playoff run almost didn’t happen so smoothly. Just four days earlier, on August 26, they needed all five games to survive a grueling series against Hanjin Brion, winning 3-2 to clinch their postseason berth.
Dplus KIA’s path into the bracket was more straightforward. They finished fourth in the Legend Group during the regular season, earning a direct playoff spot without needing to fight through a play-in scenario.
The 2026 LCK Playoffs use a double-elimination format featuring the top six teams from the regular season, with results directly impacting which Korean teams earn spots at the World Championship.
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