LCK 2026 Play-In: Format, Schedule & Race for the Final Playoff Spots
Aug 21, 2026, 2:41 AM · 1 min read
Live schedule and standings: LCK
The 2026 LCK Play-In kicks off this Wednesday, August 26, 2026 in Seoul. Four teams clash at LoL PARK to secure the final two playoff spots and keep their Worlds 2026 campaign alive.
At a glance
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Dates | August 26 – 28, 2026 |
| Venue | Seoul, South Korea (LoL PARK) |
| Field | 4 teams (Legend Group 5th place + Rise Group top 3) |
| Format | Double elimination · Bo5 (Fearless Draft) |
| Prize pool | Qualifying stage (no standalone prize pool) |
| Stakes | 2 spots for the LCK Playoffs (August 29 – September 13) |
Format & how it works
The Play-In serves as the final qualification gateway into the LCK main playoff bracket:
- Series length: every match is a best-of-five (Bo5) played under Fearless Draft rules (a champion picked cannot be played again by either side for the remainder of the series).
- Qualification paths: the stage features the 5th-placed team from the Legend Group alongside the top three teams from the Rise Group. The bottom two teams (4th and 5th in the Rise Group) are officially eliminated from the season.
- Bracket mechanics:
- Legend #5 vs Rise #1: the winner locks in the first Playoff spot; the loser drops to the Decider Match.
- Rise #2 vs Rise #3: the winner advances to the Decider Match; the loser is eliminated.
- Decider Match (Friday): the two remaining teams play for the second and final Playoff spot.
The field
Ten teams compete across the split divided between the Legend and Rise Groups.
Legend Group — 5th place drops to Play-In
Rise Group — 3 Play-In tickets, 2 direct eliminations
The final seeding and participants will be locked following the conclusion of the regular season on Sunday, August 23.
Schedule and key dates
Times shown in Seoul time (KST) and Paris (CEST, −7h).
Regular season final days
- Friday, August 21: HANJIN BRION vs BNK FEARX (17:00 KST / 10:00 CEST) · KT Rolster vs T1 (19:00 KST / 12:00 CEST)
- Saturday, August 22: Dplus KIA vs Gen.G (17:00 KST / 10:00 CEST) · DN SOOPers vs Kiwoom DRX (19:00 KST / 12:00 CEST)
- Sunday, August 23: Hanwha Life vs T1 (17:00 KST / 10:00 CEST) · BNK FEARX vs Nongshim Red Force (19:00 KST / 12:00 CEST)
Play-In — Wednesday, August 26 to Friday, August 28 (Bo5)
Specific match assignments for August 26–27 will be finalized once regular-season standings lock on August 23.
- Wednesday, August 26 (17:00 KST / 10:00 CEST): Round 1 — Series 1 (Bo5) — Matchup to be confirmed
- Thursday, August 27 (17:00 KST / 10:00 CEST): Round 1 — Series 2 (Bo5) — Matchup to be confirmed
- Friday, August 28 (17:00 KST / 10:00 CEST): Decider Match (Bo5) — TBD vs TBD (Winner claims final Playoff spot; Loser is eliminated)
The LCK Playoffs kick off on Saturday, August 29, leading up to the Grand Final on Sunday, September 13.
Where to watch
Catch all the action live on ReadyCheck: official streams (Korean, English) are embedded directly on our match pages alongside real-time stats and live head-to-head tracking.
- LCK hub — Legend/Rise standings, Play-In bracket, and playoff schedule
- League of Legends hub — live scores, stats, and Worlds 2026 circuit coverage
