Nongshim RedForce Finds Another Gear to Close LCK
Nongshim RedForce eliminated Kiwoom DRX in LCK 2026 as Kingen's Gnar and Scout's Galio turned Game 2 into a 27:20 clincher.
TL;DR: Facing elimination, Kiwoom DRX needed Game 2 to survive, but Nongshim RedForce found another gear and closed the LCK 2026 series. A decisive top-lane advantage, cleaner mid-river fights, and Baron control turned a competitive opening into a 12-6 win in 27:20, completing the sweep.
Key Takeaways
- Kingen’s Gnar finished 4/0/5 and built a massive +804 GoldDiff@15, giving Nongshim RedForce the side-lane pressure Kiwoom DRX never solved.
- Scout’s Galio posted a 10.00 KDA through 3/1/7, proving that a -96 GoldDiff@15 could not prevent his decisive teamfight impact.
- Nongshim RedForce converted 53.3k to 46.3k gold, 5 towers to 1, and 1 barons to 0 into a series-clinching victory over Kiwoom DRX.
Early Game
Kiwoom DRX entered with survival on the line after falling behind 1-0, and their first 15 minutes did offer the resistance pre-match analysis demanded. Willer’s Zaahen held a +90 GoldDiff@15, while Ucal’s Orianna carried a +96 advantage in mid.
Yet the pre-draft warning around Orianna did not deliver as predicted. The champion appeared, but her 0/2/4 line left Kiwoom DRX without the game-breaking control expected from the central denial target. On the other side, Diable’s Ezreal stayed even at +40 GoldDiff@15, preserving Nongshim RedForce’s bot-lane route despite the pressure.
The biggest early crack came above them. Frog’s K'Sante sank to -804 GoldDiff@15, and that gulf gave Nongshim RedForce a reliable lane from which to start every later fight.
The Turning Point
Nongshim RedForce turned that isolated lead into a map-wide advantage through sharper engage timing. Sponge’s Wukong absorbed a -90 GoldDiff@15 but still created 1/2/9 worth of fight access, repeatedly enabling the mid laner to arrive where Kiwoom DRX were most vulnerable.
That execution disproved the live draft model’s 51% edge for Kiwoom DRX. The proposed Zaahen, Orianna, Jhin, and Shen teamfight chain never became a stable win condition; instead, Nongshim RedForce made the river their stage and forced the favored draft to react.
Closing Out
Once ahead, Nongshim RedForce played with the urgency of a team refusing to give elimination a second opening. Lehends’s Karma supplied 1/1/9, shielding carries and smoothing the path into the decisive Baron setup.
Kiwoom DRX matched 2 dragons apiece, but they could not match the final objective conversion. With 1 barons, a 5-1 tower advantage, and a 12-6 kill score, Nongshim RedForce pushed the gold gap to 53.3k to 46.3k and ended Game 2 before the opposition composition could scale back into contention.
Polymarket Market
Polymarket correctly read this game: Nongshim RedForce were 57% favorites at draft close and delivered the expected result. That confidence was stronger than the 54% series pre-match lean, reflecting how Game 1 and the final draft context had shifted the day toward Nongshim RedForce. Still, the market did not fully anticipate how completely the execution would overturn Kiwoom DRX’s modeled 51% draft edge. The draft’s theoretical Orianna-Jhin teamfight power was never allowed to settle, while Kingen’s top-lane lead and disciplined objective play supplied a much clearer practical win condition. This result closes the series 2-0, with the full series-market wrap-up belonging in the series recap.
FAQ
Q: Why did Kiwoom DRX's Orianna pick fail to swing Game 2?
Ucal finished 0/2/4 on Orianna, and Kiwoom DRX could not turn its projected teamfight chain into control of the river or Baron.
Q: What decided Nongshim RedForce's Game 2 closeout?
Kingen’s +804 GoldDiff@15 on Gnar created the decisive side-lane edge, while Nongshim RedForce converted it into 5 towers to 1 and 1 barons to 0.
*Odds via Polymarket, 2026-08-20 12:06 UTC.*