LCK Cup 2026 Match Review: Faker Steadies the T1 Ship to Destroy HLE
Hanwha Life Esports and T1 kicked off their LCK Cup year competing against each other. The first game was competitive, but the rest of the series was a stomp. T1 dominated games two and three, led by Faker and Oner. T1 managed to become the second Group Baron team in the LCK Cup to earn a victory after Gen.G Esports achieved the first win yesterday.
LCK Cup 2026: Hanwha Life Esports Versus T1 Match Review
Game One Draft
T1 – Blue Side
- Ambessa
- Pantheon
- Ryze
- Lucian
- Milio
HLE – First Pick
- Rumble
- Vi
- Taliyah
- Corki
- Alistar
Game One Summary
Kanavi and Zeus triggered a tower dive on Doran that Oner read. Doran died, but Oner picked up a kill in trade. The teams consistently look for dives across the map. They are not the best executed dives, but they get enough value out of them. T1’s pressure on Zeus allows Doran to get First Tower. HLE managed to secure Ocean Soul point, forcing T1 to fight. T1’s positioning on the Soul Fight allowed T1 to delay the Drake stacking.
Kanavi saw the angle to initiate the fight in the mid lane. They caught Peyz and won the fight, leading to a Baron and Ocean Soul take. The Actualizer Ryze shreds through HLE as T1 holds their push. With the Baron, HLE secures positioning on Elder Drake. They secured the objective and emerged victorious in the ensuing fight.
Total Apex Ratings
Hanwha Life Esports
- Zeus – 6
- Kanavi – 7
- Zeka – 7
- Gumayusi – 8
- Delight – 8
T1
- Doran – 7
- Oner – 6
- Faker – 8
- Peyz – 4
- Keria – 6
Player of the game – Gumayusi
Game Two Draft
Hanwha Life Esports – Blue Side
- Gnar
- Wukong
- Aurora
- Ziggs
- Rakan
T1 – Second Pick
- K’Sante
- Xin Zhao
- Sylas
- Aphelios
- Lulu
Game Two Summary
Kanavi, Zeka, and Delight thought they had a chance to earn first blood on Oner. However, the power of Sylas in early skirmishes came to fruition. The two kills allowed Faker to get ahead of a difficult lane. Kanavi’s position on the second Drake led to his death and two kills for Peyz. Zeus also teleported in, giving Doran time to recover. Despite Oner getting caught on the Soul point fight, Peyz and Faker carry to increase their lead. The lead turns into a 22-minute Baron. From there, T1 wins across the rift, even with HLE finding some kills.
Total Apex Ratings
Hanwha Life Esports
- Zeus – 5
- Kanavi – 3
- Zeka – 6
- Gumayusi – 5
- Delight – 4
T1
- Doran – 7
- Oner – 8
- Faker – 9
- Peyz – 8
- Keria – 7
Player of the game – Sylas
Game Three Draft
T1 – Blue Side
- Akali
- Nocturne
- Orianna
- Sivir
- Bard
Hanwha Life Esports – First Pick
- Rek’Sai
- Jarvan IV
- Azir
- Jhin
- Nautilus
Game Three Summary
The early game was slow, with the first kill coming right before the 7-minute mark. The combination of the Nocturne and Orianna secured First Blood on Zeka. Doran teleported into the second Drake fight to secure two kills and a lead for himself. Another mistake from Kanavi allowed T1 to win the skirmish on Blue Buff, which increased T1’s lead to 4k gold. HLE finally caught Faker in the top lane. But in the drawn-out play, T1 gets five kills and the top lane tower. The lead grew even with T1 having some happy accidents. HLE tried their best to get kills, but the Wallet difference was too high. At 28 minutes, T1 ended the game and the series.
Total Apex Ratings
Hanwha Life Esports
- Zeus – 5
- Kanavi – 3
- Zeka – 4
- Gumauysi – 4
- Delight – 3
T1
- Doran – 8
- Oner – 8
- Faker – 7
- Peyz – 7
- Keria – 8
Player of the game – Oner
Series Summary
The first game of the series was a competitive one. Neither team could garner a significant advantage. The first play that broke open the game was Kanavi finding an engagement on Peyz. T1 managed to stall out the game until HLE secured the Elder Drake. The ensuing games were stomps. When T1 got an inch, and they took a mile. Every time they got a lead, the game became unplayable for HLE. Kanavi struggled in those games, being the target of T1. The synergy for HLE will need to improve if they want to be the best in the LCK. For T1, they look to be in World Championship form early in the season.
Total Apex Series Ratings
Hanwha Life Esports
- Zeus – 5.3
- Kanavi – 4.3
- Zeka – 4.7
- Gumayusi – 5.7
- Delight – 4.7
T1
- Doran – 7.3
- Oner – 7.3
- Faker – 8.0
- Peyz – 6.3
- Keria – 7.0
Player of the series – Faker
