The second week of the 2026 LCK regular season kicks off from Wednesday, April 8, to Sunday, April 12. T1, the 2025 World Championship winners, and Gen.G, the 2025 LCK champions and 2026 LCK Cup victors, are set to clash on the very first day of the week. Both teams finished their opening week with a 1-1 record, making this a pivotal match for the pecking order in the top tier.

It’s the showdown everyone’s been waiting for: T1, fresh off their 2025 World Championship three-peat, faces off against 2025 LCK and 2026 LCK Cup kings Gen.G this Wednesday. Despite being tipped as clear favourites before the season, both squads stumbled out of the gate with 1-1 records in Week 1. Their paths were eerily similar, too—both teams fell to KT Rolster before swiftly dusting themselves off with 2-0 victories against Hanwha Life Esports and BNK FearX, respectively.

This is their first collision of 2026, and the stakes feel appropriately high. While they were both in the Baron Group during the LCK Cup, they haven't met in a best-of series since September 21 last year, where Gen.G edged out a 3-2 victory in the LCK playoffs. Since then, T1 conquered the world stage, while Gen.G dominated the domestic LCK and LCK Cup. Now, these giants of the scene finally lock horns again.

Meanwhile, Nongshim RedForce and KT Rolster, both riding high on 2-0 starts, are set to face each other on Thursday, April 9. Nongshim has been the picture of consistency, sweeping both their opening matches 2-0. KT Rolster, on the other hand, has become the talk of the town after taking down heavyweights T1 and Gen.G back-to-back.

The real intrigue here lies in the blend of seasoned veterans and hungry rookies. Nongshim’s support 'Lehends' and KT’s mid laner 'Bdd' bring a decade of experience to the rift, acting as the tactical backbone of their respective teams. Balancing that wisdom is the sheer aggression of Nongshim jungler 'Sponge' and KT top laner 'Perfect', both of whom have been instrumental in their teams' early success.

If you look at the momentum leading into the season, Nongshim arguably had the edge. After a runner-up finish at the 2025 World Championship, KT Rolster struggled to clear the group stage in the 2026 LCK Cup. Nongshim, however, fought their way through the play-in stage as the third seed from the Baron Group, giving them more vital time on the stage.

Saturday brings us the 'Saturday Showdown' between Dplus KIA and Gen.G. The big question on everyone's lips: can Dplus KIA finally break their abysmal losing streak? They’ve had a torrid time against Gen.G, currently sitting on a 21-match losing streak, including a 1-3 defeat in the 2026 LCK Cup playoffs. They call this quest the '22nd Northern Expedition,' and it’s a hurdle Dplus KIA must clear if they want to be considered true title contenders.

The mood in the Dplus KIA camp isn't all doom and gloom, though. They bounced back nicely in their final Week 1 match, dismantling DRX 2-0. Still, head coach Kim Dae-ho was vocal in his post-match press conference, admitting there’s plenty of room for improvement and promising a sharper performance moving forward.

The 2026 LCK regular season continues with two matches daily, Wednesday through Sunday. You can catch all the action live on streaming platforms like Chzzk and SOOP. For those wanting to witness the action in person, tickets are available on NOL Ticket, opening 216 hours before each match.