Launched in 2015, the League of Legends KeSPA Cup is now celebrating its 10th year as a historic competition. But this year specifically, the KeSPA Cup carries more weight than ever. Results from the tournament will be used to assess players for potential selection to represent Korea at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Only players who compete in this event will be eligible for national team selection.

As a result, nine of the twelve LCK and LCS teams competing are fielding the rosters they’ll use together in 2026, giving fans an early look at next season. Only Gen.G, DN Freecs, and KT Rolster are not fielding their full lineups, opting instead to use their LCK Challengers or Academy players.

The 2025 KeSPA Cup features 14 teams — all ten LCK squads, two overseas all-star teams (Japan and Vietnam), and two invited LCS teams (Cloud9 and Team Liquid). The event begins with a single round-robin group stage where every match is best-of-one; group winners move directly to the knockout stage, while runners-up enter a last-chance qualifier. In the case of a tie, the team with the faster average win time earns the higher seed. The last-chance qualifier and knockout rounds 1–2 are best-of-three, and the finals conclude with a best-of-five series.

Day 8 Results - Knockout Stage

After yet another nail-biting series that went the distance, T1 triumphed over Hanwha Life Esports to claim the KeSPA Cup 2025 trophy — their first since the tournament’s inception in 2015. It marks their second title of the year, following their Worlds victory just a month earlier, and their first with Peyz on the roster. A strong statement to the entire LCK ahead of the official season kickoff in January.

Down 2-0 early, HLE managed to take the series all the way to Silver Scrapes — for real. However, they collapsed in just 22 minutes in the final game, led by Faker’s Viktor, perfectly set up by Oner’s outstanding Nocturne, while Peyz dominated the bot lane from the early game with his Zeri against Gumayusi’s Lucian.

Day 7 Results - Knockout Stage

Zeus was right. After his win with HLE win over DK on Day 6, he had said, "I think the revived T1 looks too solid — they’ll probably make it to the finals.’"That prediction has now come true, as the reigning three-time world champions pulled off a reverse sweep against DK in a way only they can. T1 will now have the chance to avenge their earlier 1–2 loss to Hanwha Life Esports in the grand final playing on Sunday.

The tournament’s first two best-of-five series both went the full distance, and fans can only hope the grand final follows the same thrilling pattern. Despite DK looking razor-sharp in the first two games — including a 27-minute stomp in Game 1 — the momentum completely shifted. That reversal was perfectly embodied by T1’s botlane, who delivered an outstanding performance in Game 5 on Renata and Kalista. Their level of play and synergy confirmed that Ryu "Keria" Min-seok is finishing the year in truly exceptional form, and that his partnership with Peyz could indeed become one of the most mechanically gifted botlanes of 2026.

Day 6 Results - Knockout Stage

The second day featured the tournament’s first best-of-five, and it was a big one, as the two teams who had remained undefeated so far faced each other. After a full five-game series, Hanwha Life Esports came out on top with a 3–2 win over Dplus KIA, sending them down to the lower bracket where they’ll meet T1. Their match will take place this Saturday.

It was an intense series that, much like Smash’s second pentakill of the tournament on Zeri in Game 4 and Gumayusi’s own on Varus in Game 1 (his first in two years), turned out to be a bloody affair. Choi "Zeus" Woo-je was deservedly named the MVP of the series, thanks in part to his outstanding performance on Camille in the decisive game.

Day 5 Results - Knockout Stage

The first day of the knockout stage has already delivered its verdict, with Nongshim RedForce eliminated after suffering two losses today — first against Dplus KIA, and then against T1.

Notably today, Kim "Peyz" Su-hwan made headlines by scoring a pentakill in Game 2 against HLE — enough to win the game, but not the series. The reigning world champions ultimately fell and dropped to the lower bracket. They will face the loser of the winner’s bracket final this Friday, which will, as expected, feature Dplus KIA and HLE. From this point onward, all matches will be best-of-five and fully broadcast on Disney+ in the US.

Day 4 Results - Last Chance Qualifier

At the end of a unique day where the second-place teams from each group faced off in the Last Chance Qualifier for a spot in the knockout stage, it was Nongshim RedForce who came out on top. They now join HLE, DK, and T1, making the final stage of the competition an all-LCK affair.

There was a clear balance of power between NS, C9, and DNF. Nongshim sent a strong message ahead of the 2026 season — they’re serious contenders and ready to shake things up.

However, the North Americans have nothing to be ashamed of. They leave the tournament having proven that the West can still challenge Korean teams, falling just one Nexus short of reaching the top 4. It’s a promising sign ahead of the LCS season and a small answer to those who often wonder how European and American teams would fare in the LCK standings.

Day 3 Results - Single Round

The group stage has concluded, and eight teams have already been eliminated. The three teams that topped their groups—HLE, DK, and T1—the only undefeated teams in the tournament—advance directly to the knockout stage, while the runners-up from each group move on to the Last Chance Qualifier. The LCQ will take place on Day 4, and only one among Cloud9, DN Freecs, and Nongshim RedForce will secure a spot in the knockout stage.

Day 3 saw HLE obliterate Gen.G, who failed to win a single match in the tournament, but more importantly, C9 came out on top against BFX in the decider match for qualification. The other invited LCS team, Team Liquid, were crushed by T1 in just 21 minutes. Shin “Smash” Geum-jae also made a strong impression with DK, securing a pentakill against KT on his Lucian, finishing with a 13/2/7 scoreline in under 26 minutes of play.

Day 2 Results - Single Round

The second day confirmed the trends set on the first, with the groups starting to take shape. HLE remain undefeated, Gen.G suffered another loss to BFX, DK completely dominated their group with a third consecutive win, while T1 made a strong debut by crushing Japan’s All-Star team — led by Mun "Oner" Hyeon-jun, who finished with a 12/3/7 score on his Pantheon.

On the guest side, Liquid had no matches today, but Cloud9 continue to impress. After their win yesterday against Gen.G, they claimed another victory — this time over Vietnam’s All-Star team. With a 2-1 record, they’re now in a favorable position to qualify for the Last Chance Qualifier and play in the best-of-threes.

Day 1 Results - Single Round

At the end of the first day of best‑of‑one matches in the group stage, Hanwha Life Esports emerged as the big winner, topping Group A with two victories over Cloud9 and BNK FEARX, for the first time with Lee “Gumayusi” Min-hyeong as their botlaner and Seo "Kanavi" Jin-hyeok in the jungle.

The biggest surprise came from Gen.G’s struggles. With Jeong "Chovy" Ji-hoon and Park "Ruler" Jae-hyuk absent due to mandatory military training, Gen.G fielded Kim "Loid" Seong-woo and KIm "Harusary" Hyun) from its academy lineup—but suffered shocking back‑to‑back defeats against Cloud9 and the Vietnam All‑Stars, leaving them at the bottom of the group A.

This day also marked Lee “Scout” Ye‑chan’s first official match in South Korea since leaving SK Telecom T1 nine years ago — a triumphant return capped by a win over Team Liquid. In an interview with Daily Esports, he said, “Next year, I want to win everything.”