Kiwoom DRX eliminated from LCK Play-ins after 0-2 loss to NS RedForce

Kiwoom DRX, the team that once pulled off one of the greatest Cinderella runs in League of Legends history, won’t be dancing in the LCK playoffs this split. A clean 0-2 sweep at the hands of NS RedForce sealed their elimination from the Play-ins, capping off what has been a deeply forgettable stretch for the organization.

For a roster that hoisted the Summoner’s Cup in 2022, getting bounced from what is essentially the last-chance bracket of Korea’s premier league is a particularly bitter pill to swallow.

A collapse in slow motion

DRX’s loss to NS RedForce wasn’t a shocking upset so much as the logical conclusion of weeks of poor results. The team has been hovering near the bottom of the Rise Group for much of the 2026 season, accumulating a string of 0-2 and 1-2 series losses that steadily eroded any margin for error.

The LCK’s 2026 format sends the lowest-ranked teams in the Rise Group into Play-ins, a gauntlet designed to give struggling squads one final shot at reaching the main playoff bracket. DRX found themselves in that exact position, needing to navigate through elimination matches to keep their season alive.

What makes the result sting even more is the history between these two teams. Back in February, during the LCK Cup Play-ins, DRX demolished NS RedForce with a dominant 3-0 sweep. Six months later, the power dynamic has completely inverted.

From world champions to also-rans

In 2022, they entered the World Championship as the LCK’s fourth seed, a team few expected to contend. They proceeded to tear through the bracket, culminating in a championship victory that ranks among the most improbable in the game’s competitive history.

The current squad has struggled to find an identity this split. Losses to teams like BNK FEARX and HANJIN BRION, neither of whom sit at the top of the standings themselves, painted a picture of a team that couldn’t reliably beat the opponents they needed to beat.