Zed returns to LCK as BRO Gideon picks him in Game 5

In a moment that made every League of Legends fan collectively lean forward in their chair, BRION jungler Gideon locked in Zed during Game 5 of their LCK Play-Ins series against KT Rolster on August 26. The champion, once a staple of highlight reels and solo queue nightmares, has been functionally extinct in Korean professional play for a while now. Until Gideon decided otherwise. The pick landed in the most dramatic spot possible: a decisive Game 5 in the Play-Ins Round 1, where a loss means your season gets significantly harder. Choosing a mechanically demanding assassin in that situation is either supreme confidence or beautiful madness. Sometimes those are the same thing. Why Zed matters in context What makes Gideon’s selection even more interesting is the Play-Ins format itself. The double-elimination bracket features a drafting rule that prevents champions from being repeated across a series. By Game 5, both teams have already burned through their comfort picks and standard compositions across four prior games. The champion pool narrows significantly, which can force creativity. But “forced” and “choosing Zed” are two different conversations. Gideon’s path to this moment Kim ...