BFX defeats NS in LCK Play-ins as Taeyoon gets revenge against former team

There’s a particular flavor of satisfaction that comes from beating the team that let you go. Kim “Taeyoon” Tae-yoon tasted it on August 27, 2026, when his BNK FEARX squad eliminated Nongshim RedForce from the LCK Play-Ins with a decisive 3-1 victory at Jonggak Chzzk LoL Park in Seoul.

The bot laner, who was traded from NS to BFX on April 30, 2026, in a swap for AD carry Diable, didn’t just show up against his former teammates. He showed out, playing a central role in sending them home for the season.

The series and what was at stake

This was Play-In Round 2, meaning the loser’s season was finished. NS needed to win to keep their playoff hopes alive. BFX needed to win to advance to the LCK 2026 Playoffs, where a matchup against HANJIN BRION awaits.

For context on just how evenly matched these rosters were coming in: during Week 13 of the regular season, BFX and NS split their best-of-three matchups against each other.

The Taeyoon storyline

Taeyoon spent time developing as a player on the Nongshim RedForce roster before the organization moved him to BFX in a mid-season deal on April 30, 2026, less than four months before this elimination match. Trading an AD carry and then watching that same player knock you out of playoff contention is the kind of storyline that scriptwriters would reject for being too on the nose.

The trade itself was straightforward on paper: Taeyoon went to BFX, Diable went to NS.

BFX’s rise and what comes next

BNK FEARX has had an interesting trajectory in the LCK. The organization dates back to 2018 in the league, previously competing under the SANDBOX Gaming banner before BNK Financial Group came on as the primary sponsor and the team rebranded.

Their reward is a Playoffs matchup against HANJIN BRION. For Nongshim RedForce, the offseason starts now.

NS had been competitive enough during the regular season to make the Play-In stage, and their split record against BFX in Week 13 showed they could hang with this roster.

Taeyoon, for his part, gets to keep playing. His former teammates do not.

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