Gen.G is experiencing a very disappointing season
From being one of the top contenders for 1st-2nd place in the LCK 2026 Rounds 1-2 group stage, Gen.G has fallen to the losers’ bracket. Even then, many still believed the reigning MSI 2025 champions could compete for a spot at the tournament held in Korea this year to defend their title. However, all hopes were shattered after the loss to T1, marking their most disappointing season since the team finalized their “all-star” roster in 2023.
Specifically, since the start of the season, the biggest title Gen.G has won is the LCK Cup 2026 along with a spot at First Stand 2026. However, a problem was that at the early-year event, both T1 and HLE lacked cohesion and peak player performance due to roster shuffles. Gen.G was one of the few teams with no roster changes aside from coaching staff. Thus, their dominance was understandable.
Gen.G’s decline began at First Stand 2026 when they were crushed by G2. After that, their most notable group stage achievements were wins against T1 (first half) and HLE (second half). But even in those victories, Gen.G faced significant difficulties. At times, despite having many advantages, they were “shutdown” by T1. Opponents like KT and DK also made Gen.G sweat to secure wins.
Furthermore, after group stages ended, Gen.G for the first time since 2023 did not finish in the top 1-2 at an LCK event. Not only did they drop to the losers’ bracket, but they were also eliminated from MSI 2026 by T1. This means they lost the chance to defend their crown before the tournament even began. It is also the first year since adopting the “all-star” roster approach that Gen.G failed to qualify for MSI.
Gen.G could face an even worse outlook
Given their current performance, Gen.G remains one of the top three strongest teams in LCK. However, there is only one championship and a final that features at most two teams. If they continue playing like this, the prospect of coming away empty-handed is becoming increasingly real for the team once considered a powerhouse in both Korean and global LoL scenes.