Can Dplus Kia Maintain Dominance Against Hanjin Brion?

As the LCK continues its intense 2026 campaign, all eyes turn to a matchup that presents a stark contrast in momentum between Hanjin Brion and Dplus Kia. Currently sitting in eleventh place with a struggling 1W-5L record, Hanjin Brion enters this best of three series looking to prove they can compete with the league's elite. While their recent form shows a slight glimmer of hope following a 2-0 victory over BNK F24X, their overall performance remains difficult, characterized by a low form score of just 2.3/10. On the other hand, Dplus Kia arrives as the heavy favorite, holding second place with a much more respectable 10W-7L record and a form score of 4.3/10. Their ability to secure high-profile wins, such as their recent 2-1 triumph over T1, suggests they possess the ceiling necessary to dismantle even the most disciplined defenses.

The early game metrics suggest a significant uphill battle for the Brion roster. Hanjin Brion suffers from an average total gold differential of -1,357, and their lane dominance is particularly concerning in the mid lane, where Loki faces a massive -861 gold difference at the fifteen-minute mark. In contrast, Dplus Kia's jungle phenom Lucid has been playing at an incredible level, boasting a 7.6 KDA and maintaining a gold lead of +336 at fifteen minutes. If Siwoo can leverage his top lane advantage of +353 gold against Casting, Dplus Kia could effectively shut down the game before the mid-game transitions. However, Hanjin Brion's support, Namgung, has shown resilience with a positive gold differential, which might provide the utility needed to stabilize their lanes.

Tactically, the draft is expected to revolve around the overwhelming presence of Rumble, who currently boasts an 82.7% presence rate in the LCK. We can expect heavy bans around this champion to prevent uncontrolled objective control. Dplus Kia will likely look to secure high-priority picks like Aphelios, which carries an 80% win rate, to bolster their bot lane. For Hanjin Brion to stand a chance, they must find ways to neutralize the jungle pressure from Lucid and prevent ShowMaker from dictating the mid-lane tempo.

HANJIN BRION 26.5% vs Dplus Kia 73.5%. Dplus Kia's superior early game metrics and the individual brilliance of Lucid make them much too strong for a Brion side currently struggling for consistency. Confidence level: HIGH.