LCK 2025 Season Weekly Report Cards – Week 4

BNK FearX: 6-

It was an important week for the BNK as they faced direct rivals Nongshim RedForce. Even though the team put up a decent performance, the 2-0 loss was quite indicative of the level the team is currently at.

BNK found themselves on the back foot due to some sub-optimal drafting, which put a lot of pressure on their ADC Diable. The ADC player couldn’t do much against the multiple threats on the enemy team, showcasing an important weakness of the team. The solo lanes are not able to match what the bot lane does and games get messy quite quickly.

They bounced back briefly against DN Freecs but even they were able to take one game off from BNK. It’s still too early to draw conclusions but BNK might not have what it takes to fight for something higher other than sixth place as some might have hoped after the first few weeks. Finding a balance will be key going forward.

DN Freecs: 5

DNF Freecs continue to be the bottom team of the league but luckily for fans, there might be some light at the end of the tunnel. Mid laner Pungyeon was able to pull off some strong performances, especially compared to his other teammate, BuLLDoG. With Berserker still the only constant on the roster, DNF can now at least try to play around two lanes.

The split is probably gone for the team as they would need a miracle to make it into the playoffs, but at least they can start slowly and work towards the summer split with a strong foundation, hoping that veterans like DuDu and Pyosik can retain some of their form.

Dplus Kia: 7

Week 4 for DK was filled with mixed feelings. Even though the team lost both to T1 and HLE, they were able to put up a decent fight. The main issue DK has at the moment is ShowMaker. It’s weird to say this considering how vital the mid laner has been for the team in the past few years but he’s been underperforming compared to his usual standards, and most importantly, to the other LCK mids.

It feels like ShowMaker has been trying to reinvent himself by playing more around the team, pushing himself to pick unorthodox champions like Pantheon. While it may work against weaker teams to enable the rest of the team, these picks lose value against the top teams, who dominate you from the start. DK needs more raw power and it must come from their mid laner, considering how Aiming and Siwoo are already delivering top-tier performances. Sometimes, the team seems to be looking for extremely off-meta angles that can only work from time to time and it’s not really something you should be relying on most of the time.

The reason we’re given a high rating despite the losses is that the rest of the team looks to be on form, and if they can find a fix to the mid lane, then DK might have what it takes to fight the top dogs consistently.

DRX: 4.5

After some glimpses of hope in the starting weeks, it looks like DRX have entered their slump period once again. The team looks like a one-man army once again, with Teddy being the only decent winning condition for the team. Ucal and Rich are not able to match their respective solo laners and Sponge is also struggling as a result of that. Week 5 will be crucial for the team as they will face BRO and BNK: no mistakes are allowed if they want to get back into playoff contention.

Gen.G: 8.5

A chill week for Gen.G, who had the two bottom teams of the league to face. Two wins on the board without many issues and a clear sign of great form from all of their players.

Gen.G seems to have now found the groove and they are starting to dominate the rest from the start of the laning phase and better micro mechanics. Chovy continues to be heads and shoulders above everyone else and it shows by the number of POM he earned this split so far (6 out of 8 matches). The other top teams are warned.

HLE: 8+

HLE continue to chase Gen.G as the no. 2 of the LCK, maintaining a somewhat strong form, although the team doesn’t seem to the cleanest in early games. The team is just so strong at teamfighting that they can look to make a comeback in any situation. On top of that, they did a great job at shutting down ShowMaker’s Viktor, something that should be praised and a great indication on how HLE creates favorable situations for themselves. It seems like no other team can match them aside from Gen.G so we’ll have to wait for the rematch of Week 8.

KT Rolster: 5.5

There hasn’t been much of an evolution from KT compared to the previous week. Actually, the team continues to be the rollercoaster it has always been. The team just gets lost during the mid game and everything comes crumbling now that even Bdd is not hard carrying the team. Top laner Casting didn’t end up making much of a difference and deokdam is still unable to be the carry KT needs to become a functional team. It’s starting to get worrying now as the team needs to step it up as they might fall even behind BRO at this point.

NS: 8.5

The noodle boys might have found a fix to one of their problems and their 2-0 record in week 4 is indicative of this. Calix is showing why he the coaching staff decided to promote him to the starting position, coming in with clean fundamentals and looking in good shape despite losing to teams like HLE.

There is only more hurdle preventing NS from getting closer to the top end and that’s Jiwoo. It’s not like the player is terrible but he will probably have to grow even more. Currently, the team heavily relies on Kingen and Lehends to get the ball rolling and while it may work against lower-tier teams, those two get shut down against the top dogs. It’s great that we’re seeing more underdogs putting up a fight but the dark horse of the LCK will still need more firepower, especially from their ADC.

BRO: 8

The series against T1 is surely a great confidence boost for BRO, who showed up on the day to take the win. Clozer absolutely gapped Faker in the mid lane and Hype has looked in great form around the teamfights. I don’t think the team still has what it takes to fight for the playoffs based on how things stand, given that their teamfighting can still be shaky and their laning phase is still sub-par. Week 5 will be good preparation against the two bottom teams before BRO meets the crucial rematch with BNK at the start of week 6. Watch an eye on this team.

T1: 5.5

At this point, I don’t think there are ways to describe T1 in the current form. The win against DK was a great starting point to bounce back, only to drop the series against the eighth-place team in the league.

We previously covered the issues around T1 and how the team should stick to a five-man roster. Gumayusi is expected to be the starting player going forward, which is, to be honest, the only positive takeaway from this week. The team is struggling to find an identity that works with the current lineup and I think a part of that is due to Fearless Draft. The team raises its potential when they are on their comfort picks (Faker-Azir, Gumayusi-Jhin) but their ceiling immediately drops off as soon as those picks are denied or banned away.

One of the strongest team compositions T1 found success with is by having Faker act as the main damage threat, Oner and Keria acting as the playmakers, and Gumayusi as the secondary carry. Once those roles are swapped due to the change in team compositions, the overall potential from T1 drops. Finding the right adjustments and a new winning formula requires time, but the time is ticking and if T1 continues to fumble over series like the one against BRO, things might get tricky very quickly. Luckily for them, week 5 might be a little easier on them as they will face KT and DNF.

BNK FearX: 8-

I’m been genuinely impressed by BNK’s start to the LCK season. After the disastrous LCK Cup, the team has been putting a much better fight, to the point that the team beat an underperforming T1 and was even able to take a game off from Gen.G. That Game 3, however, was quite rough to see, which is why I lowered their rating.

The thing definitely worth mentioning at the moment is the team’s bottom lane: ADC Diable has been pulling off incredible performances one after another and he’s finally caught up onto people’s radar. His partner Kellin has also been benefitting from it, having earned an MVP in week three.

If we were worried about the playoff run aside from the top four teams, it looks like we might have another contender added to the mix. Will we see another dark horse rise up?

DN Freecs: 4

DNF doesn’t seem to be able to get out of the slump they got in the LCK Cup. They are clearly the worst team in the league at the moment and there aren’t really any positives to talk about. Even Dudu, which I praised previously, doesn’t seem in great shape.

The team just looks lost and two 2-0 losses against KT and DK are clear signs that something is going wrong. Maybe Berserker is the only one who is playing somewhat decently but it’s also clear he can check out as well when things go downhill. With a 0-6, it seems like the split will end quite quickly for the Freecs.

Dplus Kia: 8

A good week by DK, which nailed two wins, although they dropped a game to DRX, which also included a stolen penta by ShowMaker.

While it’s not the dominant start we witnessed during the LCK Cup, DK is clearly the third force of the league, behind Gen.G and HLE. They will be facing T1 in week 4 and a win would solidify their position. Siwoo is probably the best top laner after Zeus at the moment and the team will have to rely on him if they want to have a shot at the title.

DRX: 6.5

Despite the two losses on the board, it was a decent week for DRX, which was able to put up a decent fight against DK and HLE. ADC player Teddy is actually putting up strong performances one after the other, which is nice to see after the struggles he had in previous years.

You just gotta wonder where the potential for DRX is at the moment. It might be just enough for a playoff spot, but with both NS and BNK stepping up, it might not be enough.

Gen.G: 8.5

Gen.G broke the BRO curse, which is ironically the best news for the team. BNK took a game off from them in the series but Gen.G then decided to get serious all of a sudden and pulled out one of the most one-sided games in recent history: would you consider it a perfect game?

Regardless of what you think, if that is what peak Gen.G looks like, then it’s a clear bad sign for all the rest of the teams. Chovy has been shining like always, to the point where Ruler is being overshadowed. Canyon has also slowly ramped up his performances, which is another upside for the team.

HLE: 8.5

After the slow start in the first week of the new LCK season, HLE have seemingly found their groove again. Zeka, in particular, has made huge steps ups, bringing out carry performances on Azir and even getting a penta. The team looks oiled up now, and you just gotta wonder how the team would fare against Gen.G in its current form. Too bad we’ll have to wait until week 8 to have an answer. Before that, however, HLE will have to face DK in Week 4: it will be an important test for both.

KT Rolster: 6-

KT Rolster continues its wave of volatile performances. The roster changes didn’t really change much and it just feels like everything continues to be on Bdd’s shoulders. The guy is lifting weights like no other at the moment and he would probably deserve a much higher rating alone. Unfortunately, the rest of the team is not keeping up. The win against DNF was clean but it was also against the worst team in the league. Week 4 will be crucial: NS and DRX are teams competing with KT for a playoff spot so these matchups are a must-win.

NS: 6.5

Aside from the roster change in the mid lane, I believe NS put up a decent fight against T1 and HLE. It’s clear that there is still a gap but it wasn’t a disaster. I’m still debating whether putting Calix in the mid lane was the right call, considering it’s Jiwoo who hasn’t been living up to the expectations set after the starting LCK Cup. The series against the slumping T1 was positive, though, which is why I gave a more than sufficient rating. BNK and KT are next: these matches will tell us whether NS is a playoff team again.

BRO: 7

BRO got a vital win against KT, which might give them the confidence boost needed to fight for the playoffs. Great to see HamBak showing his worth over the past few weeks and it actually might be a good sign he’s still playing despite Croco coming in.

While I’m not expecting BRO to be a playoff contender all of a sudden, who knows what they might pull off in the rest of the regular season? Gen.G passed the test this time around, but will there be another victim? You just gotta wonder who it may be…

T1: 5

T1 fans have had it rough in week 3. The team barely beat NS and got surprisingly defeated by BNK. Once again, Gumayusi was brought in mid-series and it didn’t really work out as intended.

Aside from the ADC choice, Doran has been caught struggling lately, and Keria is also not performing up to his standards. I gave a deeper analysis on what’s wrong with T1 at the moment, but the general idea is that there are many issues around the team and fixing them together seems far too challenging. There is still time to turn it around, but you just gotta wonder whether this T1 roster has the ceiling and potential to contend with HLE and Gen.G.

BNK FearX: 6

FearX is unfortunately on the brink of elimination due to their winless record at the moment. That said, we started seeing good signals from the team in week 2, which is why we decided to give them a sufficient rating. They were able to take a game from both front runner Dplus Kia and DRX, who have looked strong so far.

Their last match will be against Nongshim RedForce, the weakest team of the Elder Group. The goal is to win and hope that either one between BRO and DNF drops their next series so they can have one last chance at advancing to the next stage.

DN Freecs: 4.5

Speaking of DNF, they are probably the big disappointment of week 2. Not only were they not able to maintain the positives from week 1 but they got even worse, looking messy in terms of macro and just not living up to the expectations. Their week two matches were tough (facing DRX and Gen.G) but the team looked disjointed and benching BuLLDoG further shows that the team is struggling.

Their series against KT will decide their fate in the LCK Cup but it will be a tough one.

Dplus Kia: 9

Week 1 and week 2 were both nailed by DK, who have already locked in a spot in the playoffs stage. They are the only team in the league with no losses on the board and they have been consistently coming up with creative drafts to cope with the Fearless Draft mode.

I think that aside from Siwoo’s great showing as a rookie in the top lane, DK’s X factor in the new season is BeryL. The guy just continues to “cook”, regardless of the team he’s put on. With him on the board, DK’s macro has looked so much better than the previous seasons. It’s still early to call the shots, but DK is now looking like the best team in the league.

DRX: 8,5

Despite all the problems with Teddy facing health issues, DRX are looking like the dark horse of the LCK. They went on a 2-0 series with their new rookie ADC Lazyfeel, and the team has shown up, defying most of the expectations. They even have the potential to lock a top-two finish if they are able to beat HLE (and Gen.G loses to T1). Watch out for this team heading into the next phases.

Gen.G: 6-

Giving a rating to Gen.G proved to be tough because you can’t really say they played terribly in their loss against BRO. To me, it was more of a mix between BRO’s overperforming and Gen.G not playing to their usual level.

They quickly came back by destroying DNF in the second series but now their chances of finishing in the top two are not as high. It might have been just a hiccup, but these kinds of setbacks must not happen again if Gen.G is aiming for the title.

HLE: 7-

We previously mentioned how HLE needs to find time to get used to playing with Zeus and we have started seeing some glimpses of that in week 2. I believe what we have seen from this team isn’t anywhere close to their peak potential. The series against DK shows the team can go head-to-head but they lack a bit of consistency and they need to work on their champion pool, especially Peanut and Zeka.

KT Rolster: 6.5

Decent weak by KT as they defeated BRO and brought T1 to a three-game series. There have been positive signs from the top side of the map, with PerfecT looking more solid and the jungle mid duo of Cuzz and Bdd stepping up. That said, Deokdam misses a bit of firepower and hasn’t looked as convincing or impactful as other ADCs in their respective teams. It might not be necessary to have him carry the games, but if you want to fight with the big dogs, KT’s bot lane might need to step up again.

NS: 5

Two 2-0 losses must not feel great but considering they went against the two strongest teams from the Baron group, you couldn’t really expect more from NS. Their last series of the group stage will be against BNK FearX so they must finish on a positive note if they want to have a shot in the play-in stage. Their macro, in particular, needs a lot of work…

BRO: 8

Had it just been the series against Gen.G, BRO would’ve probably gotten the first 10 out of 10 score in the 2025 season. What they were able to pull off against one of the top teams was incredibly impressive. Not just because of the win, but the way they were able to consistently force Gen.G to fight on their own terms and build leads from it.

That said, BRO quickly dropped the ball against KT so that’s why we’re lowering their rating. Will you continue to be a BRO believer? I’m not so sure…

T1: 8.5

T1 got a lot of criticism for the sudden swap between Gumayusi and Smash, but the results have been more than fine. T1 defeated KT in the Telecom wars and took a convincing win against Nongshim RedForce.

Smash showed up fine but it was Oner who was the decisive factor for the team in week 2. His recent form has been impressive, to say the least, and I think he will continue to lead the way for T1 in future matches.

The big and last test will be the match against Gen.G. Depending on who and how T1 will play, we will figure out their potential in this first part of the season.

LCK Cup Week 1 Report Card

BNK FearX: 6-

FearX faced two strong lineups, KT and Gen.G, and ended up losing to both teams. The team has shown some decent potential, even taking a game from KT Rolster and getting a lead over Gen.G. That said, it’s still shown some inconsistency, especially around the teamfights. Given the upcoming matchups, however, it’s looking quite rough for the team, who is on the losing group for now.

DN Freecs: 6,5

DNF showed several positive signals which make me believe it has what it takes to go against big dogs. They might not have the same level of consistency, but the individual performance is there. BuLLDoG and Berserker performed well in week 1 so the team must find a way to play around them more and get better at setting up objectives.

Dplus Kia: 9,5

If there is a big winner of week 1, it’s definitely DK. The team not only won against DNF but it took down T1, getting a 2-0 lead. Aside from the score, the reason why I’m giving DK such a high rating is their creativity in drafts. With the new Fearless Draft, they have been experimenting with spicy picks, including Pantheon jungle and Elise support, to gain edges in champion select. While I think they might not still be the best team in the league, they are looking in much better form compared to last year. Will this be DK’s year? We’ll find out more when they face HLE.

DRX: 7

DRX went with a 1-1 score in the first week, defeating BRO and losing to T1. Results are somewhat aligned with the expectations but the higher rating comes from the fact that the team had to play with Lazyfeel, who replaced Teddy.

He will be playing once again this week given that the Teddy is still recovering, so we’ll learn more about DRX’s potential in the upcoming games.

Gen.G: 9

I was curious to see how Gen.G would perform at the start of the new season and I must say they have been rather convincing. Aside from that game against FearX, the team closed out games in great fashion, even against HLE.

Ruler quickly proved he’s still one of the best ADCs out there and Duro has already found a good fit with the rest of the team. We’ll see how the match against T1 goes, but for now, it looks like they picked up where they left last season.

HLE: 7+

I had high expectations from HLE after the offseason but their first series against Gen.G showed there is still a lot to work on. What I’m worried about, however, is the approach to drafts, which continues to be more conservative and quite boring at times.

While I still think they are a good team, I was hoping to see them closer to the top: don’t think it will be the case in this first split.

KT Rolster: 6

KT continues to be KT, with its constant ups and downs. I think the roster got sidegraded or downgraded a little bit so I don’t have high hopes for them. You have to wonder, however, when they will decide to make an upset against a top team. It happens every year and I’m sure it will happen again.

NS: 6,5

Nongshim put together what should be an upgraded roster on paper and they actually took a win against BRO and brought DNF to a three-game series. It’s close to what I would expect from them but I’m not sure whether they have what it takes to fight in the play-in stage, especially considering they face T1 and HLE next.

BRO: 4,5

I was excited to see new talents from the LCK CL being promoted but if we draw a line after week one, BRO has been the worst team in the league. It played against DRX and NS, what should be the weaker teams of the Elder group, and lost to both. With stronger opponents in the upcoming matches, BRO might be the only team to go winless in this new LCK Cup 2025.

T1: 8

I’ve been a bit hesitant on which score to give to T1, but the main reason I ended up giving an 8 was their strong performance against DRX. We know that T1 is usually not the fastest to adapt to the meta but once they figure out how to play around it, they become a strong force. On top of that, the team clearly still needs to understand how to make use of Doran, who is quite different from Zeus and heavily shifts the dynamics of the lineup. With the Baron group at a disadvantage, T1 needs to make sure they end at the top of their group to get the best seeding possible. And this goal looks definitely within reach.