Dplus KIA, KT Rolster top LCK regionals to earn ticket to Worlds

KT Rolster and Dplus KIA earned the final two Korean tickets to the 2023 League of Legends World Championship in October over the weekend after taking the top two spots at the League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) Regional Finals.

KT Rolster faced Hanwha Life Esports in the first round on Thursday and beat them 3-1, qualifying for the World Championship as the third seed and reaching an international tournament for the first time since 2018.

Dplus KIA took on DRX in the second round on Friday and secured a 3-0 win, before taking on Hanwha in the final on Saturday.

The final also turned out to be a one-sided game with Dplus KIA beating KT Rolster 3-1 and qualifying for the World Championship as the fourth seed.

Saturday’s win marked the fifth consecutive time they have qualified for the World Championship — the most consecutive qualifications for any LCK team.

KT Rolster and Dplus KIA join LCK giants Gen. G and T1 to complete the Korean contingent at the World Championship.

Gen. G became the first seed after winning the 2023 LCK Summer in August, while runners-up T1 became the second seed with the most championship points.

The World Championship will take place in Korea from Oct. 10 through Nov. 19. This year’s tournament marks the first time Korea has hosted the event since 2018.

The games will be played across multiple venues, including LoL Park in central Seoul and Sajik Gymnasium in Busan.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]