The LCK 2025 Playoffs Bracket is Set! Who Will Take the Crown in the End?

The LCK 2025 Playoffs Bracket is Set! Who Will Take the Crown in the End?

Martin Arévalo-Östberg

7 Sep, 2025, 15:36

|

Last updated: 7 Sep, 2025, 15:36

The playoffs bracket is set. A long and arduous season of top-flight League of Legends is coming to an end in South Korea. The top 6 teams in the region will now head to the 2025 LCK Playoffs, where they will compete for a ticket to Worlds, as well as the chance to earn the prestigious title of LCK Champions.

Let's take a look at everything there is to know about the 2025 LCK Playoffs before they kick off on Wednesday, September 10th.

Teams

The top 6 teams in the LCK following the Regular Season and the Play-In Stage have qualified for the Playoffs. These teams are:

Gen.G LCK 2025
Will anyone be able to stop Gen.G at the 2025 LCK Playoffs? (Credit: LCK)

Format and Schedule

Delivering some of the highest level of League of Legends action, you won't want to miss a second of the action at the 2025 LCK Playoffs. To help you follow the games more easily, here's a look at how the format and schedule will work:

Format:

  • Double-elimination bracket
  • The top two seeded teams get a bye into Round 2, seeds #3-#6 will play in Round 1
  • All matches are Bo5 (Fearless Draft)
  • Top 3 teams at the end of the playoffs qualify to Worlds 2025
    • Gen.G is already qualified for Worlds after winning MSI 2025. This means that if Gen.G finish in the top 3, the 4th best team qualifies for Worlds Play-In Stage.

Schedule and Key Dates:

  • The 2025 LCK Playoffs kick off on Wednesday, September 10th
  • Finals weekend starts on September 27th:
    • Lower Bracket Finals: Saturday, September 27th
    • Grand Finals: Sunday, September 28th
  • Round 1 matches start at 1 am PT / 10 am CET, all other matches will take place at 11 pm PT (day before) / 8 am CET.

Worlds 2022 Arena
There is no stage like that of Worlds. (Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games)

Opening Matches and Predictions

The first round of matches of the 2025 LCK Playoffs will see four teams clash for a chance to face Gen.G and Hanwha Life in the next stage. Here's a look at the opening matches:

T1 vs Dplus [Wednesday, September 10th - 1 am PT / 10 am CET]

T1 were given the choice to choose between Dplus and FearX for their rivals in the opening match. The fact that the reigning World Champions picked Dplus simply speaks to how far the former South Korean powerhouse has fallen.

DK have looked utterly out of sorts throughout the season, often struggling to deal with theoretically weaker rivals in the Rise Group. T1, meanwhile, have grown stronger and stronger as the season progressed. During this opening match of the LCK Playoffs, Gumayusi and Keria should have no problems dealing with the Dplus bot lane, leading T1 to yet another rematch against Gen.G in Round 2.

Prediction: T1 3-0 Dplus

KT Rolster vs FearX [Thursday, September 11th - 1 am PT / 10 am CET]

Among the two opening matches, this one will surely be the most even. FearX have been on the rise lately, winning all of their matches in the Play-In Stage. It must be said, however, that KT Rolster have played against much tougher opposition all year long over in the Legends Group.

Despite having reason to feel confident in their chances, KT will need to watch out for a hungry FearX, as the chance to qualify for Worlds for the first time in their history will be a particularly enticing one. Besides, you just never know when rookie sensation Diable might decide to take over a game...

Prediction: KT Rolster 3-2 FearX

Where to Watch

Some of the best League of Legends teams in the world are about to take the stage, and you won't want to miss a second of it. Catch the LCK Playoffs action live on the official LCK channels on Twitch or YouTube.

Don't miss out on the stellar start of the 2025 LCK Playoffs, beginning Wednesday, September 10th, at 10 am CET!

Follow Strafe Esports for all the latest League news and our X account for the latest content and coverage. Also, stay tuned to Strafe YouTube for exclusive interviews, press conferences, and more.

Featured image credit: LCK


Read more:

Chovy Wins His 4th MVP: All 2025 LCK Awards

Arcane Season 2 wins four Emmy Awards in 2025

Cloud9 miss Worlds 2025 after loss to 100 Thieves

Latest news

Peyz Sets New Pentakill Record in Tier 1 League of Legends

Peyz Sets New Pentakill Record in Tier 1 League of Legends

T1’s newest addition, Kim “Peyz” Su-hwan continues to turn heads with his League of Legends prowess. At just 20-years-old, the South Korean AD Carry has become the first player ever in Tier 1 competitive League of Legends to reach 13 Pentakills, surpassing the previous record holder Chen “GALA” Wei once again.
21h
Foo Zen-Wen

Lamborghini to Sponsor DreamHack Events

An unlikely partnership, but one that is as real as anything else; ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) has announced a long-term deal with none other than Italian luxury car brand Automobili Lamborghini. This means that Lamborghini will be the Official Automotive Partner for DreamHack events moving forward, starting with DreamHack Atlanta (May 15-17) in the US.
12 May
Martin Arévalo-Östberg

Jynxzi Streamer Tournament Peaks at 4th Most Viewed League of Legends Tournament of 2026

Jynxzi’s ongoing Streamer Tournament is turning heads and drawing eyeballs to his stream. Currently one of the most followed content creators on the planet, Jynxzi has turned his attention and effort to League of Legends, now hosting a ‘streamer tournament’ to the tune of over 800,000 peak viewers.
12 May
Foo Zen-Wen

New Pandemonium Theme Arrives for League of Legends 2026 Season 2

The theme for League of Legends 2026 Season 2 has just been announced – Pandemonium. In accompaniment with the theme announcement, there are new skins to look forward to as well as a new map for the Arena game mode. In the trailer, Riot Games showcases the upcoming updates for Season 2 Act 1, featuring a frightful assembly of skins battling on Arena’s newest battleground.
11 May
Foo Zen-Wen

League of Legends Season 2 Update Teases WASD to Ranked, Role Quest Changes, Arena Updates and More

The League of Legends Season 2 brings updates to Role Quests, items, runes, battlepass and introduces WASD to ranked and new skins.
11 May
Ganesh Jadhav

League of Legends Patch 26.09 Preview: Massive Changes to Shyvana & Zeri, New Items, and More

League of Legends Patch 26.09 is right around the corner, and it's going to be a big one. The coming update will not only deliver the new Pandemonium-themed Season 2 to LoL, but will also make sweeping changes to a large number of champions, introduce new items, new runes, and a whole lot more.
11 May
Martin Arévalo-Östberg

Best Champions to Climb League of Legends Ranked in Patch 26.03

With Patch 26.03 now live, the Solo Queue meta in League of Legends continues to evolve. This early-season update brought a large number of changes that shifted champion power levels across all roles, rewarding picks that can consistently pressure opponents, scale effectively, and snowball advantages into wins. Without further ado, here's our look at the best champions to climb ranked in LoL Patch 26.03 in every role.
11 May
Martin Arévalo-Östberg

Comments (0)

Log in to comment on this match