With MSI and EWC both over, it’s time to take a look at how the LCK teams stack up heading into the last part of the LCK Season. Here are our LCK 2025 Power Rankings for Rounds 3-5.
LCK 2025 Power Rankings – Rounds 3-5
10. DN Freecs – No Way of Climbing Out
It’s been a nightmare year for DN Freecs, with two consecutive splits of disaster leaving them firmly at the bottom of the standings. Any shot at redemption would require a miracle. Realistically, the team is out of contention. The only player worth keeping an eye on is ADC Berserker, who has carried them through the times, but even his individual play may not be enough to salvage the season.
9. DRX – Will They Make an Upset?
DRX’s split is likely heading toward a tough conclusion unless they can pull off a major upset. Aside from Teddy, who had an overall positive season, the rest of the roster failed to keep up. With OK BRION having better potential on paper, they would need to make a big step up to snatch a spot in the season play-in.
8. OK BRION – Glimpses of Brilliance
I’m excited to see what OK BRION can do this split. Their top side formed by three veterans (Morgan, Croco, and Clozer), can be promising while Bull continues his growth path. The potential is there, so we’ll have to see whether they can meet the expectations.
7. BNK FearX – All Eyes on the ADC
BNK FearX have found a strong identity around their bot lane, thanks to standout performances from Diable. With the meta still favoring ADC-centric play, they’re well-positioned to pull out a strong second part of the season. However, the mid lane remains a major liability—VicLa’s decline before the LCK Road to MSI was worrying. If the team has a strong losing top side, Diable may be left without the support he needs to carry.
6. Dplus KIA – Is DK Having Struggles?
Dplus KIA’s form has taken a sharp dip since the start of the season. ShowMaker, once the cornerstone of their success, has been visibly struggling and his involution has had a domino effect on the rest of the team. While DK still has the strength to likely secure a playoff spot thanks to its record, the level they’ve shown us last month might not be enough to make it to Worlds.
5. Nongshim RedForce – It’s All About Keeping That Trajectory
Nongshim RedForce have carved out a respectable position for themselves this season, and maintaining that upward trajectory is key. Calix was promising in the mid lane despite the short amount of time he had. Kingen continues to be a top-tier presence on the top side and Lehends is also expected to raise the team’s ceiling. It will be another interesting split for the team: we’ll have to see if they can bring out enough explosiveness to push beyond fifth place.
4. KT Rolster – Can They Maintain Their Form?
KT Rolster has turned a corner in the latter half of the split, with Bdd still the backbone of the team. The great signs, however, came from top and ADC: PerfecT and deokdam raised their bar after months of criticism, giving KT some momentum in the playoff run. If their current form holds, they’re in a strong position to qualify for Worlds, but you know… It’s KT Rolster, and the one thing about being a KT fan is not to get your hopes too high.
3. Hanwha Life Esports – Great Potential, With a Caveat…
On paper, Hanwha Life has the potential to fight for titles—but their performance has not lived up to expectations over the past few months. The jungle-mid duo of Zeka and Peanut has been struggling when they face the top teams in the world, and that was clear during the Esports World Cup. Viper and Zeus remain the two outstanding performers of the team, but when you need to have five strong members, those two are not enough to make up for the difference. Worlds qualification for HLE isn’t in doubt, but for a roster built to win trophies, third place will be an underachievement.
2. T1 – The Potential is There… But It All Comes Down to Momentum
T1 is finally hitting their stride, showing the best form we’ve seen from them this season. Doran made notable step-ups in the two months, and since then, the team looked far more cohesive. That being said, the team can easily falter based on the condition, such as Keria’s illness during the EWC. With some occasional drafts concerns still cropping up occasionally, we might have to wait a little more to see T1 hitting its peak potential… and see if that is enough to dethrone the kings.
1. Gen.G – The Undisputed No. 1 of the LCK… and in the World
Speaking of kings, Gen.G stands at the pinnacle of the LCK and the world. With an unmatched carry trio in top, mid, and bot, I believe they possess both the highest ceiling and the highest floor in the league. It was clear at both MSI and EWC, and it’s not surprising that both tournaments were won by Gen.G.
I have some doubts about Canyon and Duro, who occasionally mess up —but even those hiccups haven’t slowed them down much. Gen.G is expected to run another dominant part of the LCK season, so the question will be whether they can keep their win streak alive until Worlds.
LCK 2025 Power Rankings – Rounds 1-2
10. BNK FearX – Identity Crisis
I was a bit disappointed by FearX’s performance in the LCK Cup following a few seasons of battling close to playoffs. It looked like the team constantly struggled to find a clear identity that works for them and even the players have looked underwhelming, considering the presence of veterans like VicLa and Kellin. I don’t see them getting out of the bottom half and I would be even surprised to see them fighting anything above the top eight.
9. OK BRION – A Flicker of Upset Potential
OK BRION surprised many by catching Gen.G off guard, but that was probably the only highlight of their entire LCK Cup. While I believe the top side is solid with Ellim coming in and Hype showing potential, there competition in the bottom half looks fierce. Considering how long the season can be, I’m expecting BRO to be one of the teams that will be capped more as the split goes on, which explains why they are placed in 9th.
8. DN Freecs – Is this the new KT?
Speaking of disappointment, I think DN Freecs was the one that failed the expectations the most. I genuinely think this team has the potential of contending for a top-five finish but the team looked really off in the LCK Cup and the early promise quickly unraveled. The team often did not look on the same page and teamfightis have been messy. It’s a shame because the individual talents are there and top laner Dudu has been among the best top laners in the league. Is this another “Kiin” curse once again? I hope it’s not, but before we rate them any higher, this is where they will belong.
7. DRX – Positive surprise
I wasn’t that sold on DRX at the start of the split. However, their first performance during the LCK Cup was positive. Ucal and Teddy looked in strong form, and Rich didn’t struggle as much as I had expected. That being said, I don’t see the team’s ceiling going much higher than this, and the best they can aim for might be a top six finish. It will still be a great result, considering the roster they put together, but it’s far from the golden era of DRX, where the team won the world championship.
6. KT Rolster – Which version of KT will we get?
If you like adrenaline and surprises, KT Rolster is the best team you could root for. Unfortunately, I don’t see myself getting heartaches for the rest of the year and I hope the team will settle down a little bit more. My issue with the team is the bottom side of the map: deokdam was probably the worst ADC of the league and I don’t expect him to magically become a top-tier player in his role.
KT is still too Bdd-dependent, in my opinion, and their rise or fall will depend on how they show up on the day. I’ll be waiting for the one-off upset that KT pulls out every season. The question is, who will be the unlucky target between T1, HLE, and Gen.G?
5. Nongshim RedForce – The Dark Horse of the LCK
If there is an underdog to root for in the league this year, it’s probably going to be Nongshim RedForce. They were able to pick up two strong members in Kingen and Lehends and both of them have been delivering in the first part of the year. If their young talents Jiwoo and Fisher can somehow find that bit of improvement to raise the bar a bit, I wouldn’t be surprised to see NS getting even closer to the top teams. They have shown their potential against Gen.G and DK in playoffs and I’m confident they can do it again.
4. Dplus KIA – Is DK part of the fantastic four?
DK looked like the best team at the start of the LCK Cup only to falter towards the end of the tournament. The team came with lots of innovation but once some of their strategies got figured out, they ended up struggling more. Fearless draft staying will be positive for them, and I expect them to fight closely with the top three. That said, I still think their consistency will need some work and it might be what pushes them a tier below.
3. Gen.G – All That Firepower, but…
On paper, Gen.G could be a dominant force when it comes to the LCK. Their players are known for delivering domestically and with Ruler coming in, that potential should’ve been raised a notch again. There is, however, one big issue in the team and it pains me to say it’s jungler Canyon. Ever since the start of the new season, he hasn’t lived up to expectations and looked like a shadow of himself.
I think there is one particular reason behind his drop in performance and it’s related to how the team plays. Usually known for being a resource-heavy player, Gen.G has too many players that can take up the carry role. Aside from support Duro, every player could theoretically be the carry of the team but Canyon ended up being sacrificed, partially due to how the meta has revolved around tank junglers as well, dulling his impact. If Canyon were to gain form once again, Gen.G could return to the domestic dominance they have always been known for.
2. T1 – Has the team figured out the winning formula?
Even though T1 finished their LCK Cup run early, most fans would agree that the team was still a title contender. The team brought HLE to five games, just like Gen.G did, so the potential is definitely there. The looming question is the bottom lane: who will be the starting ADC between Gumayusi and Smash?
Each player has its own strengths and weaknesses, so the decision will likely depend on what kind of meta there will be and if the team is willing to take the risk to make them play both, considering the influence on the performance and the potential backlash that comes with it.
1. Hanwha Life Esports – The New Kings of the LCK?
HLE are, without a doubt, the current top dogs of the LCK. They won the LCK Cup and dominated the majority of First Stand and with Fearless Draft staying for the rest of the season, I think they will continue to retain a big advantage. Zeus has already shown he’s capable of playing the majority of the top lane pool and the bottom duo Viper-Delight is probably the best one in the world right now.
I’m a bit skeptical about Peanut and Zeka’s swinging performances based on the meta, but if they’re on their ‘A’ game, which most of the time they are, this team looks unbeatable. Even if they don’t end up winning the split, anything less than an MSI qualification would be a shock.
