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 the...