BNK FearX dismantled T1 in a 3–1 upset during the LCK Cup 2026 playoffs Upper Bracket Round 2. The loss sends T1 tumbling into the lower bracket where their path to the championship just got significantly harder.
FearX controlled the series through relentless bot lane pressure and superior jungle pathing. ADC Diable and support Kellin repeatedly punished T1’s bottom duo while jungler Raptor enabled his laners and disrupted Oner’s plans across the map.
T1’s bot lane took the brunt of criticism. Peyz struggled to find footing against Diable throughout the series while Keria looked unusually quiet. The support player appeared limited on picks like Nautilus compared to his usual playmaking champions.
FearX’s draft strategy leaned heavily on enchanter supports including Lulu and Sona. These picks neutralized T1’s engage attempts and provided enough protection for Diable to carry teamfights. The approach worked game after game as T1 failed to crack FearX’s peel-heavy compositions.
Faker’s champion pool became a talking point. The legendary mid laner drew Aurora multiple times despite shaky performances on the pick. His one bright spot came on Sylas where he single-handedly dragged T1 to their only victory of the series.
T1 also experimented with a Malphite jungle pick that had fans scratching their heads. The unconventional choice didn’t solve their early game problems as FearX continued building leads through superior lane execution and objective control.
Double elimination format means T1 still has a championship run alive. But the lower bracket offers no margin for error. One more loss and their tournament ends. They’ll need to fix their early game issues fast and figure out why their bot lane got so thoroughly outplayed.
