Look, let's be honest: this year's LCK kicked off with a series of moments that were, well, frankly shocking. It all began when Hanwha Life Esports dropped a bombshell, landing dead last in 10th place at the LCK Cup. Meanwhile, Gen.G started their downward spiral with the FST G2 match, and after the 'Ruler tax evasion' saga broke, their team synergy disintegrated into something genuinely worrying. Even T1—a team we’re usually used to seeing a bit shaky early in the season—looked uncharacteristically lost, their signature team colour fading into a precarious haze.

Amidst this madness, we saw KT Rolster go on a winning streak following the call-up of Effort, while Dplus KIA managed to pull off a 'Northern Expedition' despite the widespread scepticism surrounding their less-experienced roster. This put a serious dent in the established 'Big 3' order. Add in the surprising surge of HanJin Brion—who were written off as bottom-feeders but proved their 'King Slayer' nickname is still very much alive—and it finally felt like the 'Dol-Dol' era, that stagnant LCK hierarchy, was set to crumble.

Yet, as the second round progressed, those three powerhouses did what they always do: fixed their glaring holes and reminded us exactly why they hold the 'Big 3' title. Hanwha Life Esports found a sense of stability rooted in Zeka’s performance, securing their first regular-season 1st place finish since their rebranding. T1, bolstered by the addition of coach Lee Ji-hoon, tightened up their ban-pick phase and started masking their early-game wobbles with superior macro. As for 3rd-placed Gen.G, their bottom duo regained their footing, leading to a much more respectable run in the second half. It seems these three have shaken off the rust, locking down the top three spots once again and setting their sights firmly on MSI.