A shocking match in South Korea.

Faker had a poor day, losing the first game with Azir. Photo: LCK .

The LCK Cup 2026 has just witnessed the biggest upset since the start of the tournament. BNK FearX (BFX) defeated the reigning world champions T1 3-1 in the second round of the Playoffs. This victory not only propelled BFX into the third round of the winners' bracket but also secured their spot in the next round in Hong Kong.

This victory is historic for BFX. It marks their first playoff win in 1,278 days, since their victory against DRX in August 2022. Even more remarkably, since their formation in late 2016, BFX had to wait exactly 3,333 days to defeat T1 in a full-fledged best-of-five series under the Riot Games system.

Before the match began, all 13 experts participating in the prediction placed their faith in T1. However, the events on the field reflected a completely different reality. BFX's flexibility and intelligent draft strategy helped them overturn all predictions.

BFX wins and secures a ticket to Hong Kong. Photo: BFX.

In the first game, jungler Raptor (Pantheon) coordinated with mid laner VicLa (Orianna) to completely dominate team fights. Although T1 managed to tie the score 1-1 in game 2 thanks to sharp counter-attacks, that was all Faker and his teammates could do.

The turning point came in game 3 when BFX tricked T1 into a draft trap. BFX chose Ryze and surprisingly brought him to the top lane, while also locking down the Ashe-Seraphine duo in the bottom lane. Raptor (Maokai) made precise interventions, disrupting all of T1's plans. BFX finished the game in just 27 minutes.

In game 4, pressure from Kellin and Diable in the bottom lane caused the gold gap to widen rapidly. T1 tried to initiate fights to find a chance, but the huge equipment difference led to their downfall after a team fight at minute 27.

This defeat relegated T1 to the loser's bracket. Although top laner Doran had a strong performance, the team's icon Faker and the rest of the members underperformed. T1 lost their advantage from a five-game winning streak in the group stage. They will have to face DK in the loser's bracket on February 22nd to keep their hopes of advancing alive.

On BFX's side, Raptor earned the PoM title with 6 votes thanks to their outstanding performance. Support player Kellin and marksman Diable also received high praise from experts. In the next round, BFX will face their long-time rival Gen.G Esports to compete for a direct spot in the finals.