Smash says past losses to KT Rolster helped Dplus KIA secure Worlds 2026 spot
Smash says past losses to KT Rolster helped Dplus KIA secure Worlds 2026 spot
Sin "Smash" Geum-jae believes Dplus KIA 's previous defeats to KT Rolster Rolster ultimately helped the team prepare for the series that secured their place at Worlds 2026.
Dplus KIA defeated KT Rolster 3:1 in the LCK lower bracket after dropping the opening game, winning three consecutive maps to claim the region's final Worlds qualification spot.
Smash was named Player of the Match after delivering strong performances on Lucian, Jhin and Miss Fortune.
Dplus KIA finally get revenge on KT Rolster
Dplus KIA had struggled badly against KT Rolster earlier in the year, including a 3:0 playoff defeat.
Smash said the team entered the rematch with confidence but also with a greater focus on staying calm whenever the game began slipping away from them.
He felt the painful earlier losses had become useful experience by the time the elimination series arrived.
When KT Rolster took Game 1, Dplus KIA resisted the temptation to panic and instead focused on playing out the remaining games more patiently.
Career receives one-on-one feedback
One of the notable moments after the opening loss came behind the scenes.
Smash revealed that head coach Kim "cvMax" Dae-ho asked the rest of the team to leave the room so he could speak privately with support Career .
Smash said Career may have been feeling pressure because of the importance of the match and believed the conversation was likely aimed at helping him regain confidence.
Dplus KIA responded by winning the remaining three games.
Lucid steals crucial objectives in Game 2
Game 2 became one of the most important turning points of the series.
The map remained extremely close, and Smash admitted there was significant pressure because falling behind 0:2 would have put Dplus KIA on the brink of elimination.
During the late game, ShowMaker called attention to KT Rolster 's Baron attempt before Lucid produced a crucial Smite steal.
Smash also praised Lucid for repeatedly landing important Smites throughout the series.
Whenever the jungler became frustrated with his own performance, the rest of Dplus KIA tried to calm him down and encourage him to play more patiently.
The eventual Game 2 victory helped loosen the atmosphere around the team and completely changed the momentum of the series.
Smash pushes for Trundle answer to Cho'Gath
KT Rolster surprised Dplus KIA in Game 3 with Cho'Gath.
Smash said the team knew the champion had become a viable option in the current meta, although they did not expect KT Rolster to pick it at that particular moment.
Once the composition was revealed, Smash immediately felt Trundle was the ideal response.
He strongly encouraged Lucid to lock it in, and the jungler agreed.
The pick gave Dplus KIA a much more comfortable way to deal with KT Rolster 's frontline and helped Dplus KIA take control of the game.
Miss Fortune chosen around Vi setup
Game 4 brought another unusual draft decision.
KT Rolster first-picked Renata Glasc, creating the expectation that they could pair the champion with Kalista.
Instead of contesting the same bottom-lane combination, Dplus KIA chose Miss Fortune and Neeko.
Smash explained that Fearless Draft progressively reduces the available champion pool later in a series.
With Vi already secured, Dplus KIA believed Miss Fortune offered better synergy with their engage tools and gave them a stronger overall teamfight composition.
The decision paid off as Dplus KIA closed the series 3:1.
Dplus KIA refused to celebrate early
Even with Worlds qualification within reach, Smash said the team remained unusually cautious in the final moments.
Dplus KIA had suffered several painful comeback losses to KT Rolster throughout the season.
Before Game 4, the players agreed that nobody should celebrate until KT Rolster 's Nexus was actually destroyed.
Only after the final structure fell did the team finally allow itself to react.
Smash described the victory as especially satisfying because Dplus KIA had finally beaten KT Rolster in the most important match between the teams.
T1 await in the lower bracket
Dplus KIA 's playoff run continues against T1 .
Smash admitted he was surprised to see T1 in the lower bracket given their strength but said he expects the matchup to be entertaining.
A victory would send Dplus KIA to the KSPO Dome and move them another step closer to the LCK title.
With Worlds qualification already secured, Smash said the team now wants to push as far as possible through the remaining playoffs.
