Due to LCK's second stage commencing ahead of LPL, the LCK match situation is now mostly defined. Teams such as GEN, T1, and HLE lead the standings, whereas the first-stage surprise BFX, after its strategies were decoded, has seen a swift drop in performance in the second stage, currently occupying the lowest position in LCK. Among these teams, KT undoubtedly stands as the biggest dark horse in LOL, having secured three wins and zero losses to firmly hold the first place on the LCK points table.

KT's top spot on the LCK standings carries significant weight, as their opponents were GEN, T1, and NS. Notably, NS had recently climbed to first place on the LCK points table, but "their seat at the top wasn't even warm" before being decisively defeated by KT in a recent match. In the clash for the top between KT and NS, KT's mid and jungle displayed formidable dominance, especially KT jungler Cuzz in the second game achieving a perfect 10-3-7 record—considering KT secured only 28 kills in that game, 27 of them involved him.

After witnessing KT's mid and jungle perform so impressively, many viewers predict BDD might be selected for the Asian Games roster. BDD has shown strong competitive prowess since last year's World Championship, while other LCK junglers have been inconsistent recently. Whether Canyon, Oner, or jungler Kanavi, each has had notorious "outburst" moments lately, whereas KT jungler Cuzz has maintained steady performance, and Cuzz and BDD are long-time partners.

The LPL-rejected mid-laner successfully reverses his reputation.

This year, LCK conducted extensive "recruitment" during the transfer period, with many Korean players from LPL returning to LCK. Among these returnees, mid-laner Scout and jungler Kanavi are likely the most notable. Many fans are watching their performances, especially mid-laner Scout, who was criticized by many last year as a "salary thief," leading viewers to believe Scout would be heavily crushed under LCK's high-pressure environment.

However, something unexpected for many LPL fans occurred: Scout actually achieved a turnaround in LCK. Right from the start of LCK's second stage, Scout repeatedly solo-killed opponents in matches and even became the top mid-laner in per-minute economy for LCK's second week due to his exceptional farming ability. Scout's regained form briefly propelled NS to the top of the LCK standings, and many fans hope Scout can advance to the World Championship to face LPL teams.

Although Scout lost the top-spot match against BDD, his individual performance in the game truly didn't fall short of BDD. In the first game, Scout played Azir with a perfect 9-2 record—one could say if Scout died once, the team's base would explode instantly. In the second game, Scout's Sylas was a "tragic hero," making early roams and sacrificing himself in team fights to eliminate enemy carries. Many viewers joked that Scout brought LPL-style play to LCK. Post-match player ratings show Scout is NS's best-performing player.

Conclusion

Despite Scout's strong match performance, NS's team ceiling isn't high. Top-laner Kingen mostly plays filler heroes; when playing carry roles, he fails nine out of ten times. Support Life is too old with severely declined reflexes. The jungler is a young rookie still developing. It seems NS faces great difficulty qualifying for the World Championship, given LCK's intense competition. Do you think Scout has hope of reaching the World Championship?