BNK FEARX defeated HANJIN BRION 3-2 in the final match of the 2026 LCK Play-In on August 28, 2026. The victory finalized all six teams participating in the 2026 LCK Playoffs.
Round 1 Bracket Completed After T1’s Pick
After the final Play-In match, T1 selected BNK FEARX as its opponent in the first round of the upper bracket. As a result, Dplus KIA and kt Rolster formed the other Round 1 matchup.
The key changes in this bracket are BNK FEARX securing qualification and T1 choosing its opponent.
However, the specific reason T1 selected BNK FEARX is not included among the confirmed facts provided. Therefore, it is difficult to characterize the background of the choice as an assessment of a particular team or a judgment about team strength.
Six-Team Double-Elimination Format
The 2026 LCK Playoffs will use a six-team double-elimination format. Every match will be a best-of-five series.
Because this format requires following both the upper- and lower-bracket paths, it is difficult to assess the overall playoff picture based on the result of a single match alone.
Next Official Match Scheduled for August 30
The official LoL Esports schedule lists a playoff match between Dplus KIA and kt Rolster for August 30. Readers should recheck the official schedule and results pages immediately before the match for the time and current status.
In the package currently provided, the result of the T1–BNK FEARX Round 1 match has only been confirmed through unofficial reports, so this article does not state its winner. Doran’s comments were also not included because the original text and match context could not be verified.
Sources Checked
- Official LoL Esports schedule: https://lolesports.com/en-US/leagues/first_stand%2Clck%2Cljl-japan%2Cmsi%2Cworlds
- Official LoL Esports playoff bracket: https://lolesports.com/en-US/tournament/113503357263583149/stage/113503418068146139
- Sheep Esports report: https://www.sheepesports.com/kr/articles/bnk-fearx-wins-lck-play-in-final-t1-picks-them-for-playoffs-r1/kr
- 2026 LCK public rulebook: https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/lolesports_gamepedia_en/images/0/02/LCK_2026_Rulebook%282%29.pdf/revision/latest?cb=20260109135740
The sources above were checked around August 29, 2026, at 14:05:09 UTC.