Week 2 of the LCK 2025 season rounds 1-2 will see a T1 vs Hanwha Life Esports rematch. Though HLE is the favorite to win the match, smart bettors will likely wonder if T1 has any upset potential.
After previously meeting against each other during the LCK Cup 2025 tournament, T1 and Hanwha Life Esports will meet again on the big stage. The LCK 2025 tournament’s rounds 1 and 2 are currently ongoing, with some of the strongest Korean teams fighting it out to see who will make it to the top.
Since Gen.G swept HLE in the event’s first match, T1 will want to do the same considering the squad’s rivalry with Gen.G. But that may be easier said than done, as HLE has showcased more than enough skill to give T1 a fight despite its recent unsteady performance.
T1 and Hanwha Life Esports are both strong teams in their own right, but their strengths differ. HLE has extremely strong top and bot lanes, largely thanks to ADC Viper and former T1 star Zeus, who have both displayed excellent performance recently. While playing well is expected from Zeus, Viper impressed many fans with how well he played as Kai’Sa against KT Rolster, even if his Kalista showed room for improvement. Viper and Zeus dominating their respective lanes during the first half of the match could snowball into a win for HLE.
On the other hand, T1’s pkayers are no slouches. Faker plays extremely strong mage mid-laners, while jungler Oner has also been playing well recently. Considering how much impact the jungler has on every lane, T1 may have the advantage in the upcoming match since HLE’s jungler, Peanut, is rather inconsistent. While Peanut had some good matches during First Stand, he’s been fairly subpar in the ongoing domestic tournament, and not turning it up against T1 may see a repeat of what happened to HLE against Gen.G.
Of course, T1’s bot lane can’t be ignored. Gumayusi and his substitute Smash are both great players, so T1 will have a strong carry regardless of which player takes the seat. However, the supports and junglers may ultimately decide who wins the bot lane through their influence. T1 will have to avoid unnecessary fights, as that was a leading reason for its defeat against Gen.G.
Below are the rosters for both teams in the upcoming match:
T1:
Gen.G:
T1 has a handful of champions the team opts to go for, so it’s safe to assume fans will likely see them pop up, especially considering the upcoming match will implement the fearless draft system. Ambessa is Doran’s favorite recent champion, while Xin Zhao and Nocturne have been picked by Oner quite a lot. Faker has played Ahri more than any other champion recently, while Keria has showcased his range of different support champions by taking such picks as Alistar, Rakan, and even Gragas.
On the other hand, Hanwha Life Esports’ champion pool is much larger. While the team will likely go for an ADC like Ezreal or Kai’Sa, the other picks are up for grabs. Zeus usually goes for melee champions, while Zeka likes ranged picks. The team’s support, Delight, is likely to play a hardy champion like Braum or Pantheon, especially if Keria takes Alistar first.
Hanwha Life Esports and T1 have duked it out on the big stage 28 times. HLE won 13 of these battles while T1 has taken home the win 15 times, giving T1 a narrow advantage in terms of previous matches between the two sides.
Despite T1’s slight historical edge over Hanwha Life Esports, HLE is the favorite to win the upcoming match by a sizable margin. The team’s line of 1.68 makes it the definitive favorite compared to T1’s 2.15.
T1 and Hanwha Life Esports may have an equal standing in the ongoing tournament, but both teams have different advantages relative to each other. HLE’s biggest advantage is its early game strength. The team has better odds of taking the first tower, early-game dragons, grubs, and even the Rift Herald compared to T1. Getting a strong enough early-game advantage could ultimately shut down T1’s members from countering as the game progresses.
T1’s jungler may be more likely to take late-game objectives, including dragons and the baron, but that didn’t stop T1 from losing to Gen.G. T1’s biggest weakness is the side’s habit of taking unnecessary fights, and while that may work against lesser teams like KT Rolster, Hanwha Life Esports has enough winning experience to take advantage of such missteps. This may potentially make HLE the squad to win the match.
Do you think you know who’ll win between T1 and Hanwha Life Esports?
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