Latest news with #FirstStandTournament
Korea Herald
17-03-2025
- Sport
- Korea Herald
Hanwha Life Esports crowned 2025 First Stand Tournament champion
Relatively new comer to LoL continues its winning streak since becoming the 2025 LCK Cup champion Hanwha Life Esports rose as the victor of the inaugural First Stand Tournament held in Seoul, continuing its winning streak since becoming the 2025 champion of the League of Legends Champions Korea in February. The 2025 FST, which kicked off March 10 at LoL Park in Jongno-gu, Seoul, is the newest addition to Riot Games' professional LoL esports global events, alongside the World Championship and Mid-Season Invitational. The tournament invited five teams from around the world, each representing a major league. Hanwha Life Esports represented the LCK, while Team Liquid championed for the League of Legends Championship of the Americas. For the LoL Championship Pacific, Team CTBC Flying Oyster led the charge, while Karmine Corp represented leagues from Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Top Esports represented China. Hanwha Life Esports became the champion of the 2025 FST after beating Karmine Corp 3 to 1 on Sunday afternoon. The finals MVP in the championship match went to mid-laner Kim "Zeka" Gun-woo. The championship came with a cash prize of $300,000 as well as a spot in the 2025 MSI playoffs. The team will now be able to bypass the preliminary rounds in the 2025 MSI. Hanwha Life Esports asserted their dominance from the very start of the tournament. In the opening match March 10, the team beat Top Esports from China — an LoL powerhouse — with a 2-0 victory, advancing through the group stage with a 4-0 record and becoming the first team to secure a spot in the semifinals. During the semifinals, Hanwha Life Esports beat Top Esports 3 to 0 and, in the finals, the team defeated Karmine Corp 3-1 without conceding a single match point. This marks Hanwha Life Esports' first international championship victory since its official launch in 2018. The next international tournament, MSI 2025, where the top two teams from the mid-season standings of the world's five major leagues will compete, is set to kick off in Vancouver, Canada, June 27.
Korea Herald
04-03-2025
- Sport
- Korea Herald
Seoul to host first-ever First Stand Tournament this month
First Stand Tournament newly joins Riot Games' lineup of global League of Legends competitions Seoul is set to host First Stand Tournament 2025, a newly lauching international League of Legends esports competition organized by Riot Games, this month. The tournament kicks off March 10 at LoL Park in Jongno-gu, Seoul, and runs for six days. First Stand Tournament will join the World Championship and Mid-Season Invitational as one of the professional LoL esports' global events. Five teams representing various regions will participate in the tournament. Hanwha Life Esports, the 2025 LCK Cup champion, will represent South Korea, while Team Liquid will take the banner for League of Legends Championship of The Americas. For LoL Championship Pacific, team CTBC Flying Oyster will take the stage, while Karmine Corp and Top Esports will represent Europe and China, respectively. The tournament will kick off with the round-robin stage, March 10-14, in which each team will face every other team once. The four top-performing squads from the group stage will advance to the knockout stage -- a best-of-five, single-elimination bracket -- slated to take place March 15-16. The finals, held at LoL Park's LCK Arena on March 16, will determine the first-ever First Stand Tournament champion. The champion of First Stand Tournament will earn a direct spot in the 2025 MSI playoffs, bypassing the preliminary rounds. The 2025 MSI will be held in Canada in July. A key feature of First Stand 2025 is the Fearless Draft system, which prevents teams from selecting champions used in previous games. If a best-of-five series reaches its final round, a total of 50 champions will become unavailable, demanding a broad mastery of the game's diverse roster for players and ensuring dynamic matchups for LoL fans. Riot Games said it will be introducing a revamped heads-up display at the First Stand Tournament. This new interface, designed to deliver live updates on active buff trackers, champion information and other match statistics on-screen without obstructing essential gameplay visuals, aims to modernize and deepen audience immersion, according to Riot Games. First Stand 2025 will be streamed live on Soop, Naver Esports & Games, and the YouTube LCK channel. Matches will begin at 5 p.m. on weekdays and 3 p.m. on weekends. Tickets to watch the games offline can be purchased via Interpark starting 48 hours before each match.
Korea Herald
24-02-2025
- Sport
- Korea Herald
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.
Korea Herald
23-02-2025
- Sport
- Korea Herald
Hanwha Life Esports triumphs as winner of 2025 LCK Cup
Gen. G ranks second in the first-ever LCK Cup Hanwha Life Esports, a relative newcomer to e-sports, triumphed over League of Legends powerhouse Gen.G after a match lasting nearly four hours, claiming victory as the champions of the inaugural LoL Champions Korea Cup on Sunday. The LCK Cup started Jan. 15, with the final match hosted at the LCK Arena in Jongno-gu, central Seoul. In a best-of-five series, Hanwha Life Esports defeated Gen.G 3-2. Highlights of the game included Hanwha Life Esports outplaying Gen.G's Kim "Kiin" Ki-in through strategic middle and jungle plays, alongside Park "Viper" Do-hyeon's performance during a late-game team fight in the first match. The fifth and final match was particularly tense, with both teams adopting a cautious approach; only one kill was recorded by the 28-minute mark. However, at the 33-minute mark, a massive team fight erupted, with Hanwha Life Esports taking down both Kiin and Jung "Chovy" Ji-hun, pivotal players of Gen.G. Hanwha Life Esports ultimately secured victory by taking over Gen.G's Nexus on the 38-minute mark. While the results of the LCK Cup do not directly affect a team's record for the 2025 season, Hanwha Life Esports, as the 2025 LCK Cup winners, will represent the LCK in the inaugural First Stand Tournament -- an international event by Riot Games set to debut in March. Additionally, the LCK Cup rankings will influence the distribution of support funds provided to LCK teams.
