Current season, competition or edition: 2024 LCK season | |
Game | League of Legends |
---|---|
Founded | 2012 |
No. of teams | 10 |
Country | South Korea |
Venue(s) | LoL Park, Seoul |
Most recent champion(s) | Gen.G (5th title) (Spring 2024) |
Most titles | T1 (10 titles) |
Qualification | Franchise partnership |
International cup(s) | Mid-Season Invitational World Championship |
League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) is the primary competition for League of Legends esports in South Korea. Contested by ten teams, the league runs two seasons per year and serves as a direct route to qualification for the annual League of Legends World Championship. The LCK is administered in cooperation between Riot Games and KeSPA.
The league was formerly named League of LegendsChampions before undergoing a major restructuring in late 2014, which saw a change in the competition's format and a rebranding to its current name. OGN reserved exclusive broadcasting rights of the league until 2016 when rights were split with SPOTV Games. [1] In 2019, Riot Games took over the broadcasting of LCK. [2] [3] In 2021 the LCK franchised, and Challengers Korea (CK) and the LCK promotion tournament were discontinued. [4]
The LCK is considered one of the strongest League of Legends competitions in the world, with teams from the league winning the World Championship a record eight times, including five consecutive titles from 2013 to 2017.
Following the launch of South Korea's League of Legends server in December 2011, cable broadcaster OnGameNet launched the country's first major League of Legends tournament in March 2012. Named The Champions Spring 2012, the tournament ran from March to May and was contested by a total of 16 teams. MiG Blaze was crowned the competition's inaugural champion after defeating their organizational sibling team MiG Frost in the finals. The Champions Summer 2012 followed later that year, with a rebranded MiG Frost, now known as Azubu Frost, claiming the title themselves. Azubu Frost, along with NaJin Sword, went on to represent South Korea in their first appearance at the League of Legends World Championship in October.
A tri-tournament annual circuit was soon set as the norm for the league's calendar year, now consisting of three seasons held in the winter, spring, and summer. Azubu Frost and NaJin Sword clashed early in 2013 in the finals of Champions Winter 2012–13, with the latter emerging victorious. Champions Spring 2013 and Champions Summer 2013 later followed, being won by MVP Ozone and SK Telecom T1 K respectively. SK Telecom T1 K went on to win the Season 3 World Championship later that year, becoming the first team from the league to do so.
SK Telecom T1 K became the first team to successfully defend their title the following year, sweeping Samsung Galaxy Ozone in the finals of Champions Winter 2013–14 to cap off an undefeated tournament run. Ozone's sibling team, Samsung Galaxy Blue, went on to win Champions Spring 2014 but were bested in the finals of Champions Summer 2014 by kt Rolster Arrows.
In October 2014, plans were announced for a drastic overhaul of the league's structure. [5] League of Legends Champions was rebranded to League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK), and the winter season was abolished in favor of an annual circuit consisting of the Spring Split and Summer Split. The competition's format, which consisted of a 16-team tournament with a group stage progressing into a knockout stage, was changed to a 10-team league operating on a round-robin basis, with the top 5 teams qualifying for a playoffs bracket. Furthermore, organizations were prohibited from owning more than one team - in particular, this change most heavily affected KeSPA-affiliated teams, all of which operated two squads as part of a sibling team system - forcing numerous organizations to merge or disband rosters.
LCK Spring 2015 marked the debut of the league operating under its new format and identity. A newly minted SK Telecom T1, a product of the prior year's merger between SK Telecom T1 K and SK Telecom T1 S, swept the calendar year by winning both LCK Spring 2015 and LCK Summer 2015.
SK Telecom T1 retained their crown in LCK Spring 2016, becoming the first team in competition history to win three consecutive titles. Their streak of dominance was ended in LCK Summer 2016 by ROX Tigers, who became only the second team to win the league since its restructuring.
SK Telecom T1 won their sixth title as an organization on 22 April 2017, by defeating KT Rolster in the finals of LCK Spring 2017. In LCK Summer 2017 Finals, Longzhu Gaming won their first title on 26 August 2017 after defeating the spring winner SK Telecom T1.
Longzhu Gaming rebranded to Kingzone DragonX following the 2017 World Championship, and they defended their title in LCK 2018 Spring by defeating the Afreeca Freecs. kt Rolster won the LCK Summer 2018 championship, defeating Griffin in the finals.
SK Telecom T1 won the LCK Spring 2019 title after defeating Griffin in the finals with 3–0. This marked the seventh LCK title for SK Telecom T1. [6] On 31 August 2019, SK Telecom T1 once again defeated Griffin in the finals with a score of 3–1. This was their eighth championship title, and also their back-to-back LCK title in 2019. [7]
T1 also won the LCK Spring 2020 title after defeating Gen.G in the finals (3–0), taking the title for the third time in a row. The title also marked the organization's ninth championship title, and their first after rebranding from SK Telecom T1 to T1. In LCK Summer 2020, Damwon Gaming won their first championship title after defeating DRX in the finals. [8]
DWG KIA (previously Damwon Gaming) won the title for both LCK Spring and Summer 2021, making them the champions for three consecutive splits. They defeated Gen.G in the Spring, [9] and T1 in the Summer. [10]
On 2 April 2022, T1 won the LCK Spring 2022 title after defeating Gen.G in the finals. This marked their tenth championship title. [11]
Team | LCK debut [lower-alpha 1] | Roster | Head Coach | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Top Laner | Jungler | Mid Laner | Bot Laner | Support | |||
Dplus KIA | 2019 | Kingen | Lucid | ShowMaker | Aiming | Kellin | Zefa |
DRX | 2012 | Rascal | Sponge | SeTab | Teddy | Pleata | Micro |
FearX | 2019 | Clear | Willer Seobi | Clozer | Hena | Execute | Ryu |
Gen.G | 2013 | Kiin | Canyon | Chovy | Peyz | Lehends | Helper Kim Mata |
Hanwha Life Esports | 2015 | Doran | Peanut | Zeka | Viper | Delight | DanDy |
KT Rolster | 2013 | PerfecT | Pyosik | Bdd | Deft | BeryL | Hirai |
Kwangdong Freecs | 2015 | DuDu | Cuzz YoungJae | BuLLDoG | Taeyoon | Andil | cvMax |
Nongshim RedForce | 2020 | DnDn | Sylvie | Callme Fiesta | Jiwoo | Peter | Irean |
OKSavingsBank Brion | 2012 | Morgan | Gideon | Karis | Envyy | Effort | Edgar |
T1 | 2013 | Zeus | Oner | Faker | Gumayusi | Keria | kkOma |
Teams in italics indicate teams that have been disbanded or no longer participates in the league.
Team | Title(s) | Runners-up | Seasons won | Seasons runner-up |
---|---|---|---|---|
T1 [lower-alpha 3] | 10 | 6 | 2013 Summer, 2013–14 Winter, 2015 Spring, 2015 Summer, 2016 Spring, 2017 Spring, 2019 Spring, 2019 Summer, 2020 Spring, 2022 Spring | 2017 Summer, 2021 Summer, 2022 Summer, 2023 Spring, 2023 Summer, 2024 Spring |
Gen.G [lower-alpha 4] | 5 | 5 | 2014 Spring, 2022 Summer, 2023 Spring, 2023 Summer, 2024 Spring | 2013–14 Winter, 2014 Summer, 2020 Spring, 2021 Spring, 2022 Spring |
Dplus KIA [lower-alpha 5] | 3 | 0 | 2020 Summer, 2021 Spring, 2021 Summer | |
KT Rolster [lower-alpha 6] | 2 | 4 | 2014 Summer, 2018 Summer | 2013 Summer, 2015 Summer, 2016 Summer, 2017 Spring |
CJ Entus [lower-alpha 7] | 2 | 3 | 2012 Spring, 2012 Summer | 2012 Spring, 2012–13 Winter, 2013 Spring |
DRX [lower-alpha 8] | 2 | 1 | 2017 Summer, 2018 Spring | 2020 Summer |
Hanwha Life Esports [lower-alpha 9] | 1 | 2 | 2016 Summer | 2015 Spring, 2016 Spring |
OKSavingsBank Brion [lower-alpha 10] | 1 | 1 | 2012–13 Winter | 2014 Spring |
MVP | 1 | 0 | 2013 Spring | |
Griffin | 0 | 3 | 2018 Summer, 2019 Spring, 2019 Summer | |
NRG Esports [lower-alpha 11] | 0 | 1 | 2012 Summer | |
Kwangdong Freecs [lower-alpha 12] | 0 | 1 | 2018 Spring | |
T1 is a South Korean esports organization operated by T1 Entertainment & Sports, a joint venture between SK Telecom and Comcast Spectacor. The team that would become SKT T1 was originally founded in 2002 by StarCraft player Lim "BoxeR" Yo-hwan under the name Team Orion, which was later renamed to 4 Union in December 2003. In April 2004, South Korean wireless carrier SK Telecom began sponsoring the team, officially creating the team SK Telecom T1.
The League of Legends World Championship is the annual professional League of Legends world championship tournament hosted by Riot Games and is the culmination of each season. Teams compete for the champion title, the 44-pound (20-kilogram) Summoner's Cup, and a multi-million-dollar championship prize. In 2018, the final was watched by 99.6 million people, breaking 2017's final's viewer record. The tournament has been praised for its ceremonial performances, while receiving attention worldwide due to its dramatic and emotional nature.
Lee Sang-hyeok, better known as Faker, is a South Korean professional League of Legends player for T1. He gained prominence after joining SK Telecom T1 in 2013, where he has since played as the team's mid-laner. Throughout his career, he has secured a record of 10 League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) titles, two Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) titles, and a record four World Championship titles. Faker is widely regarded as the greatest League of Legends player in history and has drawn comparison analogizing him to basketball player, Michael Jordan for his esports success.
Hanwha Life Esports (HLE) is a South Korean esports organization based in Seoul, owned by Hanwha Life Insurance. It has teams competing in League of Legends and Kart Rider, with the former competing in the LCK, South Korea's top level professional league for the game.
Chae Gwang-jin, better known as Piglet, is a South Korean former professional League of Legends player, and current coach for T1 Academy. Piglet won the Season 3 World Championship in 2013 with LCK team SK Telecom T1.
Jeong Eon-yeong, better known as Impact, is a South Korean League of Legends player for Team Liquid of the League of Legends Championship Series (LCS). Impact won the Season 3 League of Legends World Championship as a member of SK Telecom T1 K. He played for both Team Impulse and NRG Esports in the LCS, before transferring to Cloud9 in May 2016. Impact left Cloud9 after the 2017 season and joined Team Liquid, where he won four LCS titles before departing the team for Evil Geniuses after the end of the 2020 season.
Lee Chang-seok, better known as GBM, is a South Korean former professional League of Legends player. He previously played for NRG Esports of the LCS, Team Vitality of the LEC, Jin Air Green Wings and CJ Entus of the LCK, and Galatasaray Esports of the Turkish Championship League (TCL).
Kim Jeong-gyun, better known as kkOma, is a South Korean professional League of Legends coach, currently head coach for T1. As the coach of SK Telecom T1 and later DWG KIA, kkOma was a three-time world champion, two-time Mid-Season Invitational champion, and ten-time LCK champion. kkOma is widely considered the greatest coach in League of Legends history. He is known for his strict coaching attitude and aptitude for developing talented rookies. He was also a finalist for the 2017 and 2021 World Championship.
Gwak Bo-seong, better known as Bdd, is a South Korean professional League of Legends player for KT Rolster. He is a two-time LCK regular season MVP, receiving the title in the 2017 summer and 2018 spring splits.
Kim Hyuk-kyu, better known as Deft, is a South Korean professional League of Legends player for KT Rolster. He won the 2015 Mid-Season Invitational with Edward Gaming and the 2022 League of Legends World Championship with DRX.
Griffin was a South Korean esports organization owned by esports entertainment company STILL8. It had a team competing in PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and previously had teams competing in League of Legends and Overwatch. Griffin's League of Legends team competed in the League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK), the top level of professional League of Legends in South Korea.
Lee Sang-ho, better known as Effort, is a South Korean professional League of Legends player for Fredit Brion. He made his debut on KeSPA Cup 2017. He was an online trainee of SK Telecom T1 for 7 months before officially joining the team. Effort is well known for his exceptional play on Pyke.
Dplus KIA (DK), formerly known as DWG KIA and DAMWON Gaming, is a South Korean professional esports organization. Its League of Legends team competes in the LCK, the top-level league for the game in South Korea.
Kim Chan-ho (Korean: 김찬호) better known as Ssumday, is a South Korean professional League of Legends player. Ssumday began his professional career in Korea on KT Rolster as their toplaner, before moving to North America where he spent a year with Team Dignitas, after which he signed with 100 Thieves in 2018. Ssumday won his first domestic championship in 2021 after eight splits with the team. He is currently a content creator for 100 Thieves.
The 2023 LCK season was the twelfth season of South Korea's LCK, a professional esports league for the MOBA PC game League of Legends. The season was divided into two splits: Spring and Summer. The Spring Split began on 18 January and culminated with the playoff finals on 9 April 2023. The Summer Split began on 7 June and culminated with the Spring Split finals on 20 August 2023.
Park Jae-hyuk, better known as Ruler, is a South Korean professional League of Legends player for JD Gaming. Throughout his career, he has won one League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) title, two League of Legends Pro League (LPL) titles, one Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) title, and one World Championship title.
Jung Ji-hoon, better known as Chovy, is a South Korean professional League of Legends player for Gen.G. Throughout his career, he has won four League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) titles and one KeSPA Cup title.
Han Wang-ho, better known as Peanut, is a South Korean professional League of Legends player for Hanwha Life Esports. Throughout his career, he has one Mid-Season Invitational title, six League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) titles and one KeSPA Cup title. He also represented the South Korean national team at the 2018 Asian Games, earning a silver medal.
Ryu Min-seok, better known as Keria, is a South Korean professional League of Legends player for T1. Throughout his career, he has won one League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) title and one League of Legends World Championship title. He also represented the South Korean national team at the 2022 Asian Games, earning a gold medal.
The 2022 League of Legends World Championship Final was a League of Legends (LoL) esports series between T1 and DRX on 5 November 2022 at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California, United States. It marked the twelfth final of a LoL World Championship. Both T1 and DRX were two of four representatives from the League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) at the tournament, the others being Gen.G and DWG KIA. It was T1's first appearance in the final since the 2017 edition and the first time a play-in team made a tournament run to the final, with DRX starting their tournament from the play-in stage as the LCK's fourth seed, barely qualifying through the regional qualifiers.