The KeSPA Cup kicked off on the 6th. While it usually serves as a handy preview for the upcoming season after the stove league, this year’s iteration is facing fierce backlash, with critics slamming the Korea e-Sports Association for what they call a 'hasty and incompetent' operation.

Just like last year, the Korea e-Sports Association has tied participation in the KeSPA Cup to the eligibility for the 2026 Asian Games national team candidate pool. While this certainly boosts the participation rate of LCK first-team players and gives us fans plenty to watch, it’s hard to ignore the criticism that they are essentially holding 'national team eligibility' hostage, forcing teams and players into matches during the off-season when they should be focusing on building synergy.

To make matters worse, this year’s KeSPA Cup is being broadcast exclusively on Disney+. It’s not the standard esports streaming haunts like YouTube or Chzzk, nor is it a ubiquitous platform like Netflix; choosing Disney+ for an exclusive deal has sparked valid fears of a significant viewership drop. Plus, the lack of a native chat feature means you can’t even banter with other fans during the matches, which is a massive shame.

The issues didn't stop once the stream went live. The KeSPA Cup broadcast on Disney+ is restricted to 11 regions in the Asia-Pacific, including South Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong. Even though North American teams like Team Liquid and C9 were invited, fans in the US can’t watch the games even if they have a Disney+ subscription. Top that off with a dismal 720p resolution cap on both web and app platforms, and it’s fair to say that this first collaboration between the KeSPA Cup and Disney+ is far more disastrous than anyone anticipated.