Roster mania

Offseason explosions

The LCK enters 2026 with massive changes after a dominant 2025.

Following another year of regional and international success—including Gen.G's EWC title and strong Worlds performances—teams reloaded aggressively. The biggest story: Gumayusi departs T1 after back-to-back Worlds wins, heading to Hanwha Life Esports alongside returning LPL star Kanavi. T1 counters by bringing in Peyz for a fresh bot lane with Keria.

Gen.G runs it back with their championship core, re-signing Canyon and Duro. Dplus KIA rebuilds bot with rookies Smash and Career around ShowMaker. Other teams like KT and FEARX maintain stability, while lower-tier squads hunt for breakouts.

With role quests live, drafts will prioritize lane-dominant carries that fast-track rewards.

Standout moves: Kanavi returns to LCK, Viper heads to LPL, young talents like Smash rise to starters.

Prep

Draft priorities

Key focuses for exploiting the new rosters.

  • Bot lane duos with proven international synergy (e.g., Peyz/Keria).
  • Junglers capable of early quest acceleration and river control.
  • Mids that enable cross-map pressure in the new meta.

Coach notes

Scrim watch

Blue side advantages grow with import bans and quest enablers. Watch how teams stagger power spikes—overloading bot might leave topside vulnerable.

  • Target ban super-team cores like Chovy/Ruler in Gen.G.
  • Remove import junglers (Kanavi) on red side.
  • Protect flex picks that overlap quest paths across lanes.