2025 KeSPA Cup Outcomes: Sheep Esports’ Efficiency in League of Legends

Launched in 2015, the League of Legends KeSPA Cup is now celebrating its tenth 12 months as a historic competitors. However this 12 months particularly, the KeSPA Cup carries extra weight than ever. Outcomes from the event will likely be used to evaluate gamers for potential choice to symbolize Korea on the 2026 Asian Video games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Solely gamers who compete on this occasion will likely be eligible for nationwide workforce choice.

The 2025 KeSPA Cup options 14 groups — all ten LCK squads, two abroad all-star groups (Japan and Vietnam), and two invited LCS groups (Cloud9 and Workforce Liquid). The occasion begins with a single round-robin group stage the place each match is best-of-one; group winners transfer on to the knockout stage, whereas runners-up enter a last-chance qualifier. Within the case of a tie, the workforce with the sooner common win time earns the upper seed. The last-chance qualifier and knockout rounds 1–2 are best-of-three, and the finals conclude with a best-of-five collection.

On the finish of a singular day the place the second-place groups from every group confronted off within the Final Likelihood Qualifier for a spot within the knockout stage, it was Nongshim RedForce who got here out on prime. They now be a part of HLE, DK, and T1, making the ultimate stage of the competitors an all-LCK affair.

There was a transparent stability of energy between NS, C9, and DNF. Nongshim despatched a robust message forward of the 2026 season — they’re critical contenders and able to shake issues up.

Nonetheless, the North People don’t have anything to be ashamed of. They go away the event having confirmed that the West can nonetheless problem Korean groups, falling only one Nexus wanting reaching the highest 4. It’s a promising signal forward of the LCS season and a small reply to those that typically marvel how European and American groups would fare within the LCK standings.

The group stage has concluded, and eight groups have already been eradicated. The three groups that topped their teams—HLE, DK, and T1—the one undefeated groups within the event—advance on to the knockout stage, whereas the runners-up from every group transfer on to the Final Likelihood Qualifier. The LCQ will happen on Day 4, and just one amongst Cloud9, DN Freecs, and Nongshim RedForce will safe a spot within the knockout stage.

Day 3 noticed HLE obliterate Gen.G, who didn’t win a single match within the event, however extra importantly, C9 got here out on prime towards BFX within the decider match for qualification. The opposite invited LCS workforce, Workforce Liquid, have been crushed by T1 in simply 21 minutes. Shin “Smash” Geum-jae additionally made a robust impression with DK, securing a pentakill towards KT on his Lucian, ending with a 13/2/7 scoreline in beneath 26 minutes of play.

The second day confirmed the tendencies set on the primary, with the teams beginning to take form. HLE stay undefeated, Gen.G suffered one other loss to BFX, DK fully dominated their group with a 3rd consecutive win, whereas T1 made a robust debut by crushing Japan’s All-Star workforce — led by Mun “Oner” Hyeon-jun, who completed with a 12/3/7 rating on his Pantheon.

On the visitor aspect, Liquid had no matches as we speak, however Cloud9 proceed to impress. After their win yesterday towards Gen.G, they claimed one other victory — this time over Vietnam’s All-Star workforce. With a 2-1 file, they’re now in a positive place to qualify for the Final Likelihood Qualifier and play within the best-of-threes.

The most important shock got here from Gen.G’s struggles. With Jeong “Chovy” Ji-hoon and Park “Ruler” Jae-hyuk absent on account of obligatory army coaching, Gen.G fielded Kim “Loid” Seong-woo and KIm “Harusary” Hyun) from its academy lineup—however suffered surprising again‑to‑again defeats towards Cloud9 and the Vietnam All‑Stars, leaving them on the backside of the group A.