How to watch LCK 2026 Season: Schedule, teams and new location
The 2026 League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) season continues next week with the start of the regular season rounds. Following the conclusion of the LCK Cup in March, the ten franchise teams return to the rift to compete for domestic dominance and berths at upcoming international events. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of the updated LCK 2026 Season format, participating rosters, the new international roadshow in Vietnam and official broadcast channels for global viewers.
LCK 2026 dates and venues
The LCK 2026 season runs from April 1 through September 13. The initial phase, Rounds 1 and 2, takes place between April 1 and May 31. These rounds determine the six teams that advance to the mid-season qualifying bracket.
Most matches are held at the CHZZK LoL Park in Seoul. However, the league will expand its geographical reach during Week 6. On May 8-10, the Vietnam Exposition Center in Hanoi will host the “DRX Homefront” event. This series includes official regular-season matches, including Kiwoom DRX versus Gen.G and Hanwha Life Esports.
LCK 2026 teams
The league composition remains unchanged, featuring the ten organizations from the previous season. Two teams have updated their official names for 2026:
DN SOOPers (formerly Kwangdong Freecs).
Kiwoom DRX (formerly DRX).
Major organizations including T1, Gen.G, and Hanwha Life Esports continue with established rosters.
LCK 2026 format and international qualification
Regular season matches feature Fearless Draft system. In Rounds 1 and 2 the event utilises a best-of-three (Bo3) format. The six highest-ranked teams in the LCK standings at the end of May qualify for the “Road to MSI” tournament in June. This bracket serves as the qualifying event for the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) 2026 in Daejeon and the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 in Riyadh.
The LCK has two qualification slots for MSI and one for the Esports World Cup. Since Gen.G has already secured an invitation as the defending champions, the remaining teams compete for the single vacant regional spot.
Upon the conclusion of Rounds 3-4, the league determines the first playoff participants and the teams entering the Play-In stage. All LCK Play-In and LCK Playoff matches follow a best-of-five (Bo5) format. The top three teams from the overall season qualify for the 2026 World Championship (Worlds).
LCK 2026 official broadcasts
The LCK broadcasting structure has been updated for the 2026 season. Korean viewers no longer have access to an official YouTube broadcast, but the league still offers a great variety for viewing options, including global and regional platforms. Confirmed LCK official broadcasts include:
Korean:
SOOP
CHZZK
English:
Twitch
YouTube
Vietnamese
YouTube
ON Live
TikTok
Mandarin:
Twitch
YouTube
SOOP
The broadcast list will be continuously updated, so on tournament days it’s best to check your preferred streaming platforms for any additional live coverage.
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