In the first stage of the LCK, which kicked off alongside the LPL, the two opening matches lacked major highlights. KT faced DNS in their debut; initially, they appeared sluggish and all players underperformed, conceding the first game. But from the second game onward, BDD powered up with Ryze and Zoe, leaving the opponents helpless. The "Ghost Emperor" turned support played notably well, stepping in to save the team and consistently outplaying his lane opponent.

In game one, KT’s support role was played by Pollu, which ended in a loss. The "Ghost Emperor" took over from the second game, playing Braum and Thresh flawlessly, though his partner Aming showed some weakness. If the third game had the "Ghost Emperor" as AD carry, KT might have won more easily. Despite some ups and downs, KT managed a 2-1 comeback to defeat NDS and secure a strong start, though the team’s strength has slightly declined compared to last year.

However, since the season just started, it’s too early to draw conclusions. The second match was DK versus BRO, with the spotlight on BRO’s midlaner Roamer. He’s the mysterious player who recently topped the Korean server with a 92% win rate. Due to his flashy ranked play, many speculated he was Elon Musk’s AI before his identity was confirmed. Yet, his performance in official matches has been noticeably weaker than in ranked games.

In the first game, Roamer played Taliyah against Xu’s Ryze—both champions focus on support. Xu, a veteran, showed much better game sense, helping teammates secure two kills in the jungle by 6 minutes. Roamer’s Taliyah was constantly pushed in lane and struggled to find opportunities. At 13 minutes, he made his first roam for a team fight, but BRO’s team collapsed, with DK turning a 1-for-4 exchange to seize early control.

In mid-to-late game teamfights, Taliyah’s impact was mediocre. She couldn’t outlane Xu and performed poorly in fights. DK easily took the first game. In the second game, Xu picked LeBlanc against Roamer’s Orianna. Orianna was pressured heavily early, forced to farm under turret. At 6 minutes, Xu made a tower dive for a solo kill, and by 25 minutes, the game ended with Orianna crushed at 0-8, a flawless performance by Xu.

Judging from these two games, the midlane was completely dominated. Even an older player like Xu could easily outplay Roamer, showing how weak the opponent was. The ranked star was beaten twice in a row by Xu, making it impossible to brag about being a top Korean server player anymore. This was somewhat expected because if Roamer were truly strong, he wouldn’t have only reached the top-tier league at 23, an age past the typical prime.

If good ranked play guaranteed tournament success, then Tangyuan from our region would already be a top-tier midlaner. He has topped the Korean server and shows flashy ranked mechanics with a high scrim win rate, but during actual matches, he plays cautiously and often gives opportunities away. Hence, a high RANK score and smooth mechanics don’t necessarily mean much. Faker hasn’t topped the ranks for years but remains a god-level midlaner.

Based on his debut, Roamer’s level can only be considered lower second-tier midlane. However, Xu at the start of the season is indeed impressive. Last year during the LCK Cup, DK started with a winning streak but declined as the season progressed. It remains to be seen if they can maintain form this year. Their bot lane duo are rookies with high potential, so DK should be a team to watch this season.

Conclusion:

Roamer’s recent ranked play was indeed flashy, but most of his opponents were casual players. As his rank increased, he began facing professional players, and his performance became less impressive. He was even heavily defeated by a domestic Zed streamer. Therefore, RANK scores don’t tell the whole story. Many players show skill in ranked, but fail to replicate it in official matches.

So, what do you think about DK’s debut performance?

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