On January 25, another game day of the LCK Cup 2025 took place. Two matches were played — Dplus KIA against Hanwha Life Esports and Gen.G against DN Freecs. In this article, we summarize these encounters.

Dplus Kia vs. HLE

The match of the day, a meeting of two LCK giants. The first map wasn't very saturated with spectacular fights, but just watching the screen felt the tension that was present during the match. Particularly shining on the first map was ShowMaker on Yone, winning all the duels he encountered. Overall, the game was even, but victories in key fights for objectives allowed Dplus to take this map.

The second map was also tense, and the winner was unknown until the very end. Let's note Viper, who this time was given Kalista, which turned out to be a clear mistake by DK's coaching staff. He finished the map with 8 kills, more than anyone else on the map, thereby outplaying the opponent's bot lane and giving his team enough room for maneuvers and fights for objectives, which ultimately led to HLE's victory on the second map.

Unfortunately, after HLE's fiery second map, Dplus simply crushed them on the last one. The map ended with a score of 17-6 in favor of DK. Lucid and the young top laner Siwoo performed well. ShowMaker on Galio can't be overlooked, thanks to whom they completely neutralized all of Zeka's potential.

Gen.G vs. DN Freecs

Gen.G were favorites in this matchup, which was proven from the start of the game. Both maps they finished with landslide scores, allowing DN Freecs to make 8 kills over two maps against 33. On the first map, note Ruler who broke Corki's losing streak in the LCK by having a great map and finishing it with a score of 9/0/7.

On the second map, the bot laner of Gen.G continued to dominate but on Ezreal this time. Poppy from Kiin also greatly assisted in fights, thanks to her control and the player's skills, managing to catch important targets and gain numerous advantages early in the fights. Like the first map, the second was under Gen.G's dictation, and unfortunately, DN Freecs couldn't oppose their opponent.

Team Standings in the Groups

Matches in this tournament take place between teams from opposite groups: "Baron" and "Elder". However, earned points are counted within their own group. In this way, the tournament organizers aim to diversify the routine of professional tournaments.

The LCK Cup 2025 is taking place in a group stage and playoff format involving 10 teams, divided into two groups. Each group consists of 5 teams and the seeding was based on the results in the 2024 tournaments. A spot in the First Stand 2025 is at stake. All tournament information can be found via the link.