The LCK player recognized by his peers as “the most underrated currently”
The second week of the LCK 2026 Rounds 1-2 has truly brought many surprises, with the defeat of Gen.G against DK being a notable example. This is surprising because it has been almost half a decade since DK last managed to defeat Gen.G in a domestic BO3 or BO5 match. Moreover, Gen.G was facing DK while regaining some of their former devastating form. But it is precisely from this victory that people are realizing: for many years, ShowMaker has indeed been underrated compared to his true abilities.
In reality, staying with DK despite the team parting ways with its “heroes” and ShowMaker’s continuous ups and downs has long led the audience to dismiss his name from title races. Even ShowMaker’s DK often gets eliminated early from the playoffs in domestic tournaments.
For those who may not know, since the LCK Spring 2022, DK’s best results in the LCK have been reaching the semifinals in both Spring and Summer 2022. Other than that, their continuous participation in Worlds has relied on accumulated Championship Points from previous seasons, in addition to regional qualifiers. However, in the 2025 season, ShowMaker’s streak of attending Worlds was also halted.
Furthermore, ShowMaker himself has also faced many ups and downs. Even when he and DK explode to win in the previous match, no one can guarantee he will maintain that form in the next game. This is why ShowMaker is increasingly becoming “a shadow” of himself and quietly retreats in the minds of League of Legends fans, compared to Faker, Chovy, or even Bdd and Zeka.
But perhaps many have forgotten that ShowMaker has always led DK throughout this time and helped the team maintain its status as a challenger. He is also the second Mid Laner after Faker to have reached the finals of the Worlds twice in a row – a feat that even Chovy may take a long time to match.
ShowMaker and DK need to bring more matches like the one against Gen.G to the LCK
The victory against Gen.G, as ShowMaker stated, means more than just a win at Worlds. But clearly, DK and the LCK audience need many more victories like that. ShowMaker also needs more such wins to reclaim his status.