HANJIN BRION Levels the Series with Dominant Game 2

The stakes could not have been higher in the LCK 2026 arena today. With the series sitting at a precarious 1-0 in favor of HANJIN BRION, Dplus Kia entered Game 2 with their backs against the wall, needing a victory to avoid falling into a massive hole. What we witnessed, however, was not a comeback, but a clinical execution of a superior draft that has completely leveled the playing field in this BO3.

Key Takeaways

• GIDEON delivered a massive jungle impact, securing a +1073 gold lead over his counterpart at the 15-minute mark.
• Teddy anchored the bot lane with a 3/1/2 KDA on Caitlyn, providing the necessary pressure to dismantle the enemy structures.
• HANJIN BRION controlled the map objectives, securing 4 dragons and 1 baron to starve Dplus Kia of any late-game hope.

Early Game

Against all odds, the pre-match prediction market—which heavily favored Dplus Kia at a 69.5% win probability—was completely defied by the sheer aggression of the underdogs. While the pre-draft analysis suggested that Dplus Kia might find success through high-impact plays, their lane phase was a disaster. The jungle gap was the first major wound; GIDEON, playing Vi, established an overwhelming +1073 gold lead over Lucid's Xin Zhao by the 15-minute mark. This early pressure allowed HANJIN BRION to dictate the tempo, effectively neutralizing the Dplus Kia bot lane, where Smash on Ashe was already trailing by -593 gold.

The Turning Point

The turning point arrived when the legendary poke synergy of the HANJIN BRION bot lane truly began to shine. The combination of Teddy on Caitlyn and Namgung on Lux proved to be an impenetrable wall of magic and physical damage. As Dplus Kia attempted to force engagements, they were met with a barrage of skillshots that prevented any meaningful approach. The draft advantage, which we predicted would favor the underdogs due to their superior win conditions, materialized perfectly. Dplus Kia's decision to pick Anivia and K%og'Maw—a high-risk scaling strategy—left them without the necessary tools to break through the HANJIN BRION frontline.

The Decisive Moment

As the match crossed the 30-minute mark, the structural advantages for HANJIN BRION became insurmountable. With 5 towers already down, the pressure on Dplus Kia's base was suffocating. The decisive moment came during a contested objective fight where Casting, playing a powerful Jayce, landed a crucial burst that disrupted the Dplus Kia backline. The sheer weight of the 61.8k gold advantage held by the underdogs meant that even a single mistake from ShowMaker's Kog'Maw would result in an immediate end to the game. The match concluded with a decisive 7-6 kill score, leaving the powerhouse looking completely lost.

Polymarket Market

The movement in the Polymarket markets tells a story of extreme volatility. Before this game began, the market was skeptical of a HANJIN BRION comeback, placing their series win probability at a mere 35%. However, following this crushing victory, the market has swung violently in the opposite direction, with their probability surging to 35% (effectively recovering from the 13% low seen during the draft). This massive +22.5pp shift for HANJIN BRION reflects the sudden realization that the "underdog" has found the blueprint to dismantle the giants. The series is now officially alive, and the momentum has shifted entirely toward the side that was once considered a massive underdog.

Match Stats

FAQ