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The LCK Cup 2025 battles continue. The play-offs stage is heating up at the title tournament in South Korea.
As a reminder, the LCK Cup 2025 play-offs are not only for the LCK title, but also for the First Stand Tournament 2025, the first international season. Among the contenders for the exit are DPlus KIA and Hanwha Life Esports.
Let's see who of the DPlus KIA - HLE pairing will be the stronger and first to advance to the LCK Cup 2025 Grand Final.
Let's go.
Hanwha Life Esports uniforms
Let's open the breakdown of Hanwha Life Esports vs DPlus KIA with an analysis of Hanwha Life Esports' match form. In this match they play as favourites with odds to win at around 1.6.
HLE have consistently made it to the late stages of the regular split. This only started to work out in 2023. Before that, in the 2022 season, HLE were the worst team in the race, twice finishing in the top 10 in regular splits.
It was corrected by 2023, after the big Reshuffle. Two reigning world champions joined the HLE roster, which strengthened the club considerably.
- HLE roster: Zeus, Peanut, Zeka, Viper, Delight.
With the addition of Zeka and Kingen to the HLE lineup, it was clearly more vigorous. So much so that they made it to the top 4 of LCK Spring 2023. The latest addition to HLE is Grizzly, a jungler who got promoted from the academic roster.
It seems to be working out pretty well. HLE finished in the top 3 in the regular season, which with teams like Dplus, T1 and other top teams is pretty good.
In the first play-offs match HLE warmed up against DRX. Nominally reigning world champions couldn't do anything against their visions and HLE easily closed the match with the score 3-0.
Then the situation was not so rosy: HLE ran into Gen.G and fell 0-3. The favour went to the bottom set of play-offs, but it did not save them for long.
Hanwha Life Esports faced KT Rolster in the first match of the last chance grid. The pressure was too hard and HLE was washed away: 0-3 and a play-offs exit, and at the same time not a pass to Worlds 2023.
They tried to make it to the Worlds in the regional finals, but again failed. LCK finished the final tournament of the season in the top 3, having failed to use either of the two attempts to qualify for the Worlds: they lost first to KT Rolster with a 1-3 score and then to Ledge or DPlus KIA with the same score.
Hanwha Life Esports finished the LCK Spring 2024 season in the top 3. The team once again fell one series short of reaching the international LAN tournament.
HLE advanced to the LCK Summer 2024 play-offs from the second place of the regular season, finishing 14-4. Went directly to the second stage of the playoffs. They debuted at the LCK Summer 2024 play-offs with a match against T1, where they beat the reigning world champions 3-0. HLE then lost to Gen.G, beat T1 again on class and in the grand final got revenge on Gen.G and became LCK Summer 2024 champions.
Worlds 2024 HLE Long started with a solid win over PSG Talon. Next up was a win over G2 Esports. In the next match for the play-offs Worlds 2024 HLE were close to disaster against FlyQuest, but managed to turn the tide in the first map, which allowed them to close the series 2-1 in their favour. Worlds 2024 opened the playoffs with a match against BLG, where Ledge won 1-3.
They opened the 2025 season with an appearance at the LCK Cup 2025, where they played Baron Group along with T1 and others. There they took the top 2, having won the stage with the score 3-2 and got to the second round of Play-In. Already there they beat DRX, which gave them a place in the play-offs. In the first round of play-offs HLE played against T1, where they defeated the reigning world champions 3-2 in a full-fledged Bo5 match. Next up was a match against Gen.G with a similar outcome: 3-2 in favour of Hanwha Life Esports.
Hanwha Life Esports Champions
HLE utilise a wide pool of characters for the top line. The most popular are Gnar (12 matches, 75% wins), KSante (5 matches, 40% wins), Ornn (4 matches, 75% wins), and Sion (4 matches, 50% wins).
Sejuani (9 matches, 11% wins), Vi (7 matches, 85% wins), Elise (4 games, 75% wins) appear most often in the forest.
Azir (9 games, 55% wins), Sylas (5 matches, 80% wins), Kassadin (5 matches, 80% wins), Akali (4 matches, 100% wins) appear on the centre line.
Shooters are chosen as standard: Zeri (11 matches, 63% wins), Varus (7 matches, 42% wins), Caitlyn (7 games, 57% wins), Lucian (5 matches, 80% wins).
From the supporting heroes choose Lulu (10 games, 70% wins), Heimerdinger (7 matches, 42% wins), Lux (6 matches, 66% wins), and also Nami (4 matches, 75% wins).
History of head-to-head meetings Gen.G - Hanwha Life Esports
Since the 2024 season, the teams have played each other 5 times. HLE managed to win only the LCK Summer 2024 Playoffs, the rest of the matches, including the LCK Cup 2025 - Group Battle, were won by Gen.G.
DPlus KIA uniforms
We continue our breakdown of DPlus KIA vs Hanwha Life Esports with an analysis of DPlus KIA's match form. Here ShowMaker and company play the number two with odds to win around 2.2.
In the season before last, Dplus were still DAMWON, but that doesn't change the point. Back then, Korea's top team finished top 3 at LCK Spring 2022 and top 4 at LCK Summer 2022.
Thanks to a win at LCK Regional Finals 2022, the team went to Worls 2022. The World Championships ended with a play-offs loss in a colourful match against Gen.G with a score of 2-3.
After rebranding, Dplus put together a new roster. There was an attempt to make some sort of "super" team, but that story doesn't work too well in LCK.
- Dplus roster: Siwoo, Lucid, ShowMaker, Aiming, BeryL.
Reigning World Champion Deft didn't help Dplus much at the first tournament after the rebranding. At LCK Spring 2023, Dplus finished in the top 5, which is not good.
At LCK Summer 2023, Dplus made it to the play-offs in 4th place, 11-7. That's better than T1.
However, LCK Summer 2023 Dplus KIA did not stay in the play-offs for long. In the first round of LCK Summer 2023 Playoffs Dplus Ledge and T1 with the score 1-3, early leaving the main stage of the prestigious championship.
The team made it to Worlds 2023 thanks to a second place finish at the South Korean regional finals. To do so, they first outplayed DRX (3-0) and then HLE (3-1).
Dplus opened up Worlds 2023 with a match against G2 Esports. The titular Koreans were weaker than the best team in Europe and went into the set 0-1.
There, Dplus played their fellow countrymen from KT Rolster. And again Worlds 2022 champion Deft and their distinguished colleagues lost: now Dplus had 0-2.
After falling into the relegation zone, Dplus finally got their act together and showed their game. They knocked BDS out of the tournament and now continue the arduous march to the play-offs. They later outplayed GAM Esports and came out on top 2-2, but in the final match Ledge or KT Rolster, thus forfeiting their chance at the play-offs.
After a slightly dismal Worlds 2024, DPlus KIA took the top 5, closing out the LCK Spring 2024 regular season with a score of 9-9.
In the first play-offs match, DPlus pulled off a mini-sensation. They defeated their more title contender KT Rolster in a very difficult bo5. Next was a match against Gen.G, which Dplus almost won, but still fell short on the fifth map and as a result lost 2-3. Dplus KIA finished in the top 4, which is pretty good.
In the LCK Summer 2024 play-offs DPlus KIA were quite confident, having played the main season with a score of 13-5. In their debut match at the LCK Summer 2024 Playoffs, they defeated FearX 3-1. However, defeating Gen.G in the next match was an all-star task, and it proved impossible for DPlus KIA. Next up was a loss to T1 and a final top 4 finish.
After a not so successful LCK Summer 2024, DPlus KIA played at LCK Regional Finals 2024, where they made it to Worlds 2024 on their first attempt, beating T1.
They started off Worlds 2024 with a solid win over Fnatic. Next, an equally confident win against FlyQuest and a 2-0 basket. The team played against LNG Esports for the championship play-offs, where they lost 0-2 without much chance. And then, the most The International interesting and offensive for DPlus KIA - matches against TES and Weibo, where DPlus lost and the final Top 11 at Worlds 2024.
In the season 2025 the Long Team competed in the LCK Cup 2025, in the so-called Elder Group, where Dplus confidently defeated all opponents, making the score 5-0 and going straight to the semi-finals of LCK Cup 2025. In the semi-finals they defeated NS RedForce with the score 3-1 without any problems.
The most popular champions of DPlus
On the top line the team chooses KSante (4 matches, 50% wins), Renekton (3 games, 33% wins), Gnar (3 matches, 66% wins).
In the forest all the same, more or less standard: VI (7 games, 57% wins), Maokai (3 games, 66% wins), Poppy and Sejuani 2 matches and 0 wins each.
On the centre line with no deviations. There are Azir (4 matches, 50% wins), Ryze (4 games, 50% wins), Syndra (2 games, 50% wins), Cassiopeia (2 matches, 50% wins).
The championship among shooters is held by Lucian. Champion appeared 5 times, but won only 2 matches. Tried to Zeri, but failed: 0-3 in three appearances.
Among the supporting champions, Nami was a success. She was picked up 5 times, and her winrate was 40%. Yummi (3 games, 0% wins) and Ashe (3 games, 66% wins) were also picked.
History of head-to-head meetings Hanwha Life Esports - DPlus KIA
C 2024 have played each other 4 times. The score is 3-1 in favour of HLE, but DPlus KIA were victorious in 2025.
The predicted result of DPlus KIA - Hanwha Life Esports in LCK Cup 2025 is as follows
I am expecting a close game in this match. Both teams are playing well in LCK Cup 2025, but Hanwha Life Esports look better, who have already beaten T1 and Gen.G. I will believe in their victory.
Bottom line: Hanwha Life Esports wins.
