Dplus Kia, a team in the LCK Challengers League (LCK CL), won the "2026 Asia Masters" held on the 21st of this month, completing a fourth consecutive tournament title for LCK CL teams.
According to the Korea e-Sports Association on the 26th, the Asia Masters is an international tournament featuring top teams from second-tier leagues in major Asian regions, including LCK CL (Korea), LDL (China), PCS (Pacific), VCS (Vietnam), and LJL (Japan). The competition switched to a year-round operating system last year, and the number of participating regions this year expanded from four to five. It is operated in connection with the ASCI (Asia Star Challengers Invitational), Asia's highest-level second-tier international tournament. With this victory, Dplus Kia also secured a berth in the ASCI to be held in September.
A total of 12 teams competed in this tournament, including the top four teams from the LCK CL regular season rounds 1 and 2: T1 Esports Academy, Dplus Kia, Nongshim RedForce, and KT Rolster. The tournament proceeded in the order of group stage, last chance qualifier (LCQ), and bracket stage. Four teams that advanced through the group stage and LCQ competed for the title in a double-elimination bracket stage.
All four LCK CL teams advanced to the bracket stage. Dplus Kia won by defeating T1 Esports Academy in the final.
Dplus Kia defeated T1 Esports Academy with a set score of 3-1 in the final, reaching the top of the Asia Masters for the first time since the team's founding. T1 Esports Academy took the first set after a close match lasting more than 40 minutes, but Dplus Kia won consecutively from the second set onward to clinch the title. Dplus Kia closed out the match by seizing the advantage in a dragon fight late in the fourth set.
The Dplus Kia players said, "We had a disappointing result at the LCK CL kickoff, but we are glad to have entered the upper ranks of the regular season and now win the Asia Masters as well." They added, "We will do our best to show a good performance in the upcoming regular season rounds 3 and 4."
Meanwhile, the 2026 LCK CL regular season will begin its round 3 schedule on the 27th of next month. From round 3, teams will be divided into the Challenge Group and the Trial Group, with matches played in a double round-robin format.
