Hanwha Life Esports credits LCK Cup win to teamwork and champion knowledge
HLE to represent LCK n First Stand Tournament
Hanwha Life Esports, who secured victory over League of Legends powerhouse Gen.G in the LoL Champions Korea Cup finals on Sunday, credited their success to strategic team play and a deep understanding of each champion's weaknesses.
The best-of-five series, spanning over some four hours, saw Hanwha Life Esports claim a 3-2 triumph, earning the title of the first-ever LCK Cup champions.
A key feature of the tournament was the "fearless draft," a unique rule preventing teams from selecting champions already used in previous matches. This requires teams to continuously adjust their strategies, with a total of 50 champions becoming unavailable over the course of the full five-game series.
"Through the 'fearless draft' rule, I had the opportunity to experiment with new champions and grow as a player," said Park "Viper" Do-hyun of Hanwha Life Esports during a postmatch interview.
Hanwha Life Esports coach Choi In-gyu acknowledged the challenges posed by the format but praised his team's ability to adjust to the hurdles.
"When I watched China's League of Legends Pro League matches before, I noticed that unexpected picks often appeared in the fifth match, so I expected it to be tough," he said, adding, "But once we actually played, it felt manageable. The key is staying focused and making the most of our strengths in strategy and team fights."
Gen.G attempted to shift the momentum by selecting unconventional champions during the matches. However, according to coach Choi, Hanwha Life Esports' Choi "Zeus" Woo-je, who was named the finals MVP, quickly adapted to the surprise picks.
"We didn't anticipate them picking champion Vayne (for top lane) or Viego (for mid lane) at all, but Zeus was well aware of top Vayne's weaknesses and adapted accordingly," said coach Choi.
Reflecting on the loss, Gen.G's Park "Ruler" Jae-hyeok expressed regret over his itemization choices.
"Our scaling was faster than the opponent's (champion) Caitlyn, so I should have (made the choice) to (get) Rapid Firecannon for my second item to apply more pressure. Instead, I chose Infinity Edge (item), which I regret―and I regret that there ended up being indecisive fights around (items)," he said.
Throughout the tournament, Hanwha Life Esports showcased their macro play prowess, particularly through lane swaps, a move in which players switch lanes to gain a tactical advantage.
"Lane swaps can make the game feel slow, but there were moments when they were strategically necessary," coach Choi noted.
Zeus added, "Top laners inevitably struggled early in lane swaps, but through communication with my teammates, we turned the situation in our favor."
With this victory, Hanwha Life Esports will represent the LCK at First Stand Tournament, an international League of Legends tournament set to debut in March. Set to take place at LoL Park in Seoul from March 10 to 16, First Stand Tournament is the newest addition to the official international tournaments hosted by Riot Games, following World Championship and Mid-Season Invitational.
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