Kha Y Tran The LCK 2026 Kick-Off Tournament is an annual pre-season event that takes place before the official League of Legends season begins. As a result, this special competition aims to determine the strongest role among the five classic positions in League of Legends.
With that in mind, let’s join Tenkly as we explore the five lineups competing in the LCK 2026 Kick-Off, and discover which role has the edge heading into the new season.
Overview of the LCK 2026 Kick-Off Tournament
The annual LCK Kick-Off Tournament will officially return on January 9, 2026. At that time, the event will bring together the best players in the league to identify the most dominant role in League of Legends.
Unlike regular professional tournaments, this unique event does not follow traditional team structures. Instead, players are divided into five role-based teams, with each lineup consisting exclusively of players who share the same position, including Top, Jungle, Mid, ADC, and Support.
Since every LCK team must have representatives, the tournament will feature:
- All 5 players from T1
- 3 players each from Gen.G and Hanwha Life Esports
- The remaining teams will contribute 2 players, who will then be drafted by the role captains.
You can check the match results on Tenkly: https://tenkly.com/
(Source: Fanpage LCK)
LCK 2026 Kick-Off Team Captains and Lineups
(Source: Youtube LCK)
For the 2026 Kick-Off, the team captains have officially been announced as follows:
- Top Lane: Choi “Zeus” Wooje
- Jungle: Moon “Oner” Hyunjoon
- Mid Lane: Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok
- ADC: Park “Ruler” Jae-hyuk
- Support: Ryu “Keria” Min-seok
As expected, the Mid Lane lineup once again stands out as the most star-studded role in the LCK.
Back in 2025, the Mid Lane team claimed the championship, with Gwak “Bdd” Bo-seong earning MVP honors. However, this year sees significant changes, as Bdd and VicLa will not participate. Instead, only Chovy and ShowMaker return from last year’s roster.
Meanwhile, two fresh faces have joined the Mid Lane lineup:
- Ucal (DRX)
- Scout (Nongshim RedForce)
Star Players Across Other Roles
On the other hand, opposing the Mid Lane are equally formidable lineups across the remaining roles, promising intense and entertaining matchups throughout the tournament.
ADC (Bot Lane)
In particular, the Marksman lineup features several promising young talents, including:
- Peyz (T1)
- Smash (DK)
- Diable (DRX)
Interestingly, Ghost (KT Rolster) has recently transitioned into a Support role. Nevertheless, there is strong speculation that he may return to playing ADC within his own team..
Support
The Support lineup is led by none other than Keria, often referred to as a “genius prodigy”. As both captain and star player, Keria is expected to deliver some of the most exciting performances of the tournament.
Jungle
The Jungle role looks just as competitive, highlighted by:
- Oner, the team captain
- Kanavi, who has recently returned from the LPL
Top Lane
Meanwhile, the Top Lane lineup is strengthened by the addition of:
- Doran
- DuDu
- Kingen
Conclusion
Overall, the LCK 2026 Kick-Off Tournament promises thrilling, high-intensity matches as exciting new talents emerge while veteran stars clash across all five roles. The big question, however, remains: Can the Mid Lane team successfully defend their championship, or will another role rise to the top and claim glory this year?
So, don’t miss the action when the tournament officially kicks off on January 9, 2026, and witness the battle for role supremacy in the LCK.
You can watch the matches on the LCK Global YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LCKglobal
Hastag
#KickoffLCK2026 #LeagueofLegends #LCK
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