KT Rolster Qualifies for League of Legends World Championship
After failing to attend League of Legends’ biggest international tournament for the last two years, KT Rolster has earned a spot in the upcoming World Championship.
This achievement comes after Taiwan’s Flash Wolves became the first team to qualify for the World Championship. KT Rolster secured their ticket thanks to Afreeca Freecs’ playoff victory over KINGZONE DragonX. KINGZONE’s elimination from playoffs automatically qualifies KT for the World Championship, even if they lose the finals, due to their championship points.
If KT loses to either Griffin or Afreeca in the finals, they will exit the playoffs with 140 championship points, more than any other team in the league. The team that ends the LCK Summer Split with the most championship points qualifies for the World Championship as Korea’s second seed.
Formed in 2017, this iteration of KT was dubbed “the Korean super team.” The lineup includes top laner Song “Smeb” Kyung-ho and AD carry Kim “Deft” Hyuk-kyu, among other star talents. While the team had high expectations and aimed to surpass the SKT empire as the top team in LCK, they faced challenges with shotcalling and team cohesion, resulting in their failure to win the LCK 2017 Summer Split. They were then defeated by Samsung Galaxy in the regional finals, preventing them from attending the World Championship last year.
Although KT has already secured their place at the World Championship, their LCK season is not yet over. Having earned a spot in the LCK finals by finishing the regular season in first place, KT is determined to win their first ever LCK title. The team’s last domestic title win was in 2014 when KT Arrows won OGN Champions Summer.
The LCK Summer Split playoff finals, where KT’s opponent will be determined, is scheduled for Sept. 8, following the 2018 Asian Games tournament.