The League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) announced on the 7th that the newly revamped 2025 LCK Cup will kick off on the 15th at the LCK Arena in Roll Park, Jongno-gu, Seoul.
The upcoming LCK Cup, which is being held for the first time in LCK history, will introduce a differentiated 'Fearless Draft' system and a group competition format to provide fans with a fresh experience. The tournament will be divided into the ▲Baron Group and the ▲Elder Group, where teams within each group will compete for playoff berths through unity and competition.
The Baron Group consists of Hanwha Life Esports, T1, BNK Pierax, DN Freaks, and OK Savings Bank Brion, while the Elder Group includes Gen.G, Dplus Kia, KT Rolster, Nongshim Redforce, and DRX. The results of the group matches are expected to be a crucial factor in determining playoff and play-in qualifications.
The final winning team will earn the right to represent the LCK in the newly established international tournament 'First Stand Tournament' in 2025.
The Fearless Draft system prohibits champions used in the previous set for the next set, maximizing strategic diversity and promising a new level of tactical competition.
The upcoming LCK Cup is also drawing attention for the performances of overseas players returning to the LCK and rookie players. In particular, Park Jae-hyuk from Gen.G and Kim Min-cheol from DN Freaks are receiving notable attention, while Ham Yoo-jin and Byeon Jeong-hyeon, who transferred to OK Savings Bank Brion from the 2024 LCK Challengers, are also generating fan expectations.
The 2025 LCK Cup will begin with a match between OK Savings Bank Brion and DRX at 5 p.m. on the 15th, followed by group competitions, play-ins, and playoffs, culminating in the final on February 23.