Last-place LCK team DNS SOOPers win KeSPA Cup

DNS SOOPers have defeated Nongshim RedForce in the grand finals of the KeSPA Cup, with the team raising the trophy and taking home the ₩30,000,000 (approx. $21,240) grand prize.

The SOOPers , who are currently last-place in Korea’s top LoL competitive league, the LCK, upset T1 and Mid Season Invitational champs Hanwha Life Esports on their way to a dramatic victory at the KeSPA cup.

DNS SOOPers win the KeSPA Cup

While the KeSPA cup is often classified as a lower-tier event, it still featured top LCK teams in many cases playing with their starting rosters. SOOPers utilized their starting roster, as did Nongshim, in the grand finals, although T1 and HLE both utilized LCK Challengers rosters during their matches.

One major hurdle SOOPers did overcome was defeating GEN.G and Jeong "Chovy" Ji-hoon in Stage 1, Round 4. The 2-0 victory against one of Korea's best is a huge feather in the team's cap.

In the finals, SOOPers 3-0’d Nongshim, sweeping their LCK Rise Group rivals in dramatic fashion. For his outstanding play, Sooper’s top laner Lee "DuDu" Dong-ju was named MVP.

As mentioned, DNS SOOPers are currently last-place in the LCK regular season. The team, sponsored by Korean streaming platform SOOP (formerly AfreecaTV), has struggled in Korea’s top LoL league in 2026, despite having a long and storied history within it. Their win at the KeSPA cup will unfortunately be a short-lived reprieve from the fierce competition of the LCK.

Tomorrow (Aug. 19) the team faces BRION, another Rise Group team, and on Aug. 22, they face fellow bottom-table dweller DRX. There’s no Play-in or Playoff contention on the line for SOOPers in these games, and win or lose, their table spot in last-place is locked in.

Still, with a victory at the KeSPA cup, SOOPers have won recognition from a wider audience: One that’s slowly coming to love this underdog team.

Two weeks ago, a dedicated DN SOOPers fan was seen on broadcast getting emotional after the team ended its 18-game losing streak - the longest in the LCK at the time. Moments like that, and the incredible win today, are why many are starting to support this surprising team.