The LCK is getting interesting.
The LCK Spring Split playoffs are back in action this weekend with T1 and Gen.G esports to start things off in the upper bracket final. The following day will be the lower bracket semifinal between Hanwha Life Esports and KT Rolster. And with only two spots in the Mid-Season Invitational, it is getting even more interesting to see who will make it through.
Between T1 and Gen.G, only the winner will be guaranteed a spot at MSI as well as the LCK Spring Split grand finals. And given the history between the two Korean organisations, it's safe to say that it will be an entertaining series indeed. T1 may have the upper hand but Gen.G is no pushover in a playoff setting.
LCK Spring Split playoff preview
With only four teams left, only one team will be eliminated this weekend to see the final three teams head into the LCK Spring Split finals. Both T1 and Gen.G have a foot in the door to MSI with one series win already enough to guarantee a spot at MSI. As for the loser between the two, they will drop to the lower bracket final, where they will face the winner between KT Rolster and Hanwha Life Esports.
T1
Gen.GWhat makes for an interesting read is that of the nine best-of-fives T1 and Gen.G have had against one another, it's the latter that has the slight advantage by winning five. Gen.G won the last time both teams met in the summer split grand finals, which they won 3-0. However, in the spring split grand finals, it was T1 who won 3-1.
A well-documented rivalry that dates back close to a decade, T1 and Gen.G have always been a heated series between the two organisations. And this season looks to be it's most competitive yet. T1 is coming off another impressive spring split, dropping only one game during the entire group stage and having its entire squad awarded the All-LCK First Team. Even T1's Ryu "Keria" Min-seok won the award for Player of the Split as well as the regular season MVP.
However, they did have to put in the work to be in the upper bracket final with KT Rolster giving the defending spring split champions a good run for their money. The back-and-forth series between both teams ended in T1's favour in the end, which will just be another footnote in the team's journey towards redemption after last season's world championship final.
Gen.G, on the other hand, has had to contend for second place once again in the group stage. However, they did make light work over Hanwha Life Esports by ending the series in just four games. Being the current summer split champions, Gen.G will be looking to bring that mentality back in this upper bracket final. The entire team has stepped up this split but it still hasn't been enough.
The team's new bottom-lane duo of Kim "Peyz" Su-hwan and Yoo "Delight" Hwan-joong have been a revelation to the squad, bringing some much-needed balance to the team. Because of this, the rest of the team has been allowed to flourish, which explains why all of them have multiple group-stage MVP awards.
KT Rolster vs 
Hanwha Life Esports
While many eyes will be turned towards T1 versus Gen.G, you cannot overlook the match-up between KT Rolster and Hanwha Life Esports. For one, both teams invested heavily in the off-season, particularly Hanwha Life who signed big-name talents like Park "Viper" Do-hyeon and Kim "Zeka" Geon-woo. As for KT, they brought in plenty of talents like Gwak "Bdd" Bo-seong and Kim "Kiin" Gi-in to name a few.
It will make for an interesting lower bracket semifinal with both teams knowing one win will give them the confidence to fight for a grand final spot. And if that were to happen for either team, it would be the first time that they would get the chance to head to MSI. This will also put them in a good place championship points-wise, which will come into effect during the summer and how it will affect their chances of going to Worlds in their own backyard.
Both teams have had a long run so far, which started out fairly great as well. KT was able to send home SANDBOX Gaming while Hanwha Life eliminated Dplus KIA, which was one of the favourites heading into the playoffs. While they both did stumble in the upper bracket semifinals, KT put on a real show against the best team in Korea, taking them to the sword in all five games. As for Hanwha Life, they were severely outclassed by Gen.G, which also happened to be the former stomping ground of two current HLE players.
This series will prove pivotal in the grand scheme of things; KT has always been seen as a mid-table team with 2018 being the only year the org lifted an LCK split title. That was also the year KT made its debut at Worlds where they finished in the top eight, but ever since then, the team has digressed. This could be the org's best chance yet as this is the first time it's finished in the final four in the past four years.
As for Hanwha Life, it has only been around for the past five years and within that timeframe, already managed to finish in the top eight at Worlds 2021. However, that was with a very different squad. This time, it has a totally different look and playstyle, which could prove useful in their match against KT. It also helps that Hanwha Life has plenty of experience in its team, which will hopefully come into play when the series starts.
The LCK Spring Split playoffs will continue tomorrow, April 1 between T1 and Gen. G Esports. The following day, April 2 will be between KT Rolster and Hanwha Life Esports. Be sure to catch all the action on the official LCK Twitch channel.
