KT Rolster won a five-game series to reach the LCK playoffs
KT Rolster reached the LCK playoffs after a 3-2 victory over Hanjin BRION. The play-in series used all five games before KT secured the qualifying place.
The result ended the first play-in match with KT advancing directly. BRION remained in the lower route rather than taking the same playoff place.
The series required more than one successful game plan
A best-of-five match forces teams to prepare several champion combinations. Picks used in one game can change the priorities in the next draft, especially under Fearless Draft rules. KT could not rely on one winning plan for the entire series. BRION found two answers and repeatedly forced the favourite to adjust.
The fifth game therefore tested preparation as much as mechanical skill. Both staffs had already shown most of their preferred ideas before the deciding draft began.
KT kept the final game under control
The deciding game rewarded the team that managed lanes, neutral objectives and team fights with fewer mistakes.
KT created the clearer route to the enemy base and did not give BRION another recovery. A long series can make simple communication more difficult. Players must still identify the same target and decide whether to continue a fight or protect an objective.
KT completed those decisions when the match carried the greatest pressure. The final win converted a close series into confirmed playoff qualification.
| Series Facts | Confirmed Facts |
|---|---|
| Tournament | LCK Play-In |
| Format | Up To Five Games |
| Final Score | KT Rolster 3-2 Hanjin BRION |
| Outcome | KT Rolster Reached The Playoffs |
BRION won two games and kept the series close
Hanjin BRION did not lose the series through one early collapse. Its two game victories forced KT to reveal more strategies and made every later mistake more expensive. The lower route still gives BRION a possible way forward. The defeat changed the next opponent and removed the direct qualification opportunity, but it did not immediately end the team’s season.
That distinction matters when describing the result. KT qualified for the playoffs; BRION lost the qualification match and moved to the remaining play-in path.
Five games provided useful information and caused visible fatigue
KT now has recent evidence about its champion priorities, objective control and late-game calls. The team can review each lost game before facing a stronger playoff opponent. The same series also exposed plans that future rivals can study. A best-of-five win does not allow the staff to hide every prepared draft.
Recovery becomes part of preparation after such a long match. Players need to reset without ignoring the problems that allowed BRION to win twice.
KT completed the series with a 3-2 score
The match finished KT Rolster 3-2 Hanjin BRION on 26 August. Hanjin BRION won two games, so the series reached a deciding fifth map. KT’s reward is a place in the first playoff round. The next match will be a new series with a separate draft and score.
KT earned a narrow qualification. The victory was not a sweep, and the playoff stage has not started yet.
The deciding game rewarded a stable final-game plan
A five-game series tests more than champion strength. Both teams reveal preferred drafts, jungle routes and responses during the first four games. By the last map, the staff must find a useful plan with fewer hidden options. KT Rolster managed the deciding phase by keeping lanes connected and avoiding an early collapse. That gave the team time to group around neutral objectives. Hanjin BRION still created pressure, but it could not turn every local advantage into control of the full map.
The result sends KT into the playoffs after the longest possible series. Recovery will now matter alongside preparation. Players need to review the mistakes that extended the match without losing confidence in the decisions that secured the final win.
