Welcome to EGamersWorld.
We continue our series of LoL betting tips dedicated to the top League of Legends championships in different parts of the world. Obviously, South Korea (LCK) is one of the main regions with the most competitive teams in the world. Road to MSI 2025 is in full swing there, where the top teams from the LCK 2025 Season - Rounds 1-2 are battling it out to qualify for the international title tournament.
Among the contenders are T1 and Hanwha Life Esports, who are one series away from advancing to the championship. The fate of the second slot on LCK's MSI 2025 will be decided by the T1 - Hanwha Life Esports bo5 series.
In our prediction tip we will see which of the pair T1 - HLE will be stronger and will join Gen.G at MSI 2025 at the end of June.
Let's go.
How the bookies view it: HLE favourite
Before we take a closer look at the HLE vs T1 match, let's determine the favourite of the match. In this confrontation HLE will play the first number one.
Bookmakers give Hanwha Life Esports an average odds of 1.7 on the victory. HLE is the favourite, but they do not have a critical gap to T1, which is logical.
HLE form. What result can be expected from Hanwha Life Esports
We start our analysis of the HLE vs T1 match with HLE form. In this confrontation they play in the status of number one.
HLE, being a solid mid-table side, have only started entering the late stages of regular splits since 2023. Before that, in the 2022 season, HLE were the worst team in the league, twice finishing in 10th place in the regulars.
They managed to improve their results in 2023 after a major roster change. Two reigning world champions joined the team, which significantly strengthened the club.
- HLE roster: Zeus, Peanut, Zeka, Viper, Delight.
With the addition of Zeka and Kingen, the HLE team became noticeably stronger. So much so that in the spring split of LCK 2023 they were in the top 4. The latest addition was Grizzly, a jungler who moved up from the academic squad.
The changes did seem to have an effect. HLE finished top-3 in the regular season, which, considering the competition from teams like Dplus and T1, can be considered a good achievement.
In the first play-offs match HLE "warmed up" on DRX. Formally, the reigning world champions could not oppose HLE's plans, and the match was confidently closed with a score of 3:0.
However, then things didn't go so smoothly: HLE met Gen.G and lost with a score of 0:3. The team dropped to the bottom set of the play-offs, but that didn't help them advance any further.
Hanwha Life Esports played KT Rolster in the first match of the last chance grid. The pressure proved too much and HLE were swept away: 0-3, eliminated from the play-offs and, at the same time, losing their chance to qualify for Worlds 2023.
They tried to qualify for the Worlds through the regional finals, but again failed. The team finished in the top 3 at the LCK season finals, failing to capitalise on either of their two attempts to qualify for Worlds: first losing 1-3 to KT Rolster and then to Ledge or Dplus KIA with the same result.
Hanwha Life Esports finished the LCK 2024 Spring Split in the top 3. Once again, the team fell one series short of advancing to the international LAN tournament.
In the first and second rounds of LCK 2025, they had a decent showing, taking second place with a 13-3 overall score.
At the Road to MSI 2025 tournament, they Long Cogged from the top net final against Gen.G, where they led 2-0, but suffered a Reverse Sweep and lost 2-3.
Most Popular HLE Champions
HLE use 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).
Supporting heroes are Lulu (10 games, 70% wins), Heimerdinger (7 matches, 42% wins), Lux (6 matches, 66% wins), and Nami (4 matches, 75% wins).
T1 form. What result can be expected from T1
Let's continue the analysis of T1 vs Hanwha Life Esports match with the analysis of T1 form. Here they play as the number two.
T1 won LCK Spring 2022 and then three consecutive top 2s: MSI, LCK Summer and Worlds 2022.
The curse of top-2s carried over to the 2023 season as well. At the Long Run of the Year, Faker and company took 2nd place at LCK Spring 2023 and then finished third at MSI 2023.
- T1 line-up: Doran, Oner, Faker, Gumayusi, Keria.
LCK Summer 2023 was a real challenge for T1. The team made it to the play-offs, but did it with difficulty, taking 5th place in the group stage with the score 9-9.
There were problems for the main protagonist - Faker. The legendary mid laner injured his hand and it obviously affected the overall playing conditions of T1. But now Faker is kind of back on track.
The Faker factor has played out. T1 defeated a serious opponent in the person of Dplus and made their way to the next round, where their opponent will be KT Rolster. The latter, by the way, chose T1 as their opponent.
Next up was no less capable opponent than Dplus. Faker and company played against KT Rolster and won that match with a score of 3-2.
The opponent in the match for the play-offs for T1 was Gen.G. The first tried, and even started the game with the score 2-1, but it didn't work out: Gen.G camebacked, and Chovy was better than Faker.
In the grand final match T1 almost lost to KT Rolster after an excellent Long Sogpeg 2-0. They were saved by Gumayusi, who pulled it off on the 5th map with his Xayah.
However, it didn't allow them to win the final. T1 faced their nemesis Gen.G, where they crushingly lost 0-3.
T1 opened Worlds 2023 with a game against Liquid. Being the clear favourite of the series they closed the match against Liquid in their favour, but it was not an easy win: Liquid held on for 36 minutes and Ledge only 1 kill. Everything was decided in the final midlane brawl, after which T1 closed the series.
In a 1-0 basket, T1 ran into their own kryptonite - Gen.G. Faker and company started great, but the first LCK team was the first to adjust the pace of the game to their own and eventually win the match.
Next up, T1 faced Cloud9. Perhaps, it was the most defeated match of all that I had the chance to watch on this Worlds. Naturally, it ended in T1's favour.
After trampling Cloud9 T1 started to beat Bilibili Gaming, and they succeeded. T1 easily defeated the vice-champions MSI 2023 with the score 2-0.
In the play-offs, T1 played against LNG. Scout, who was not unreasonably named the best player of Worlds 2023, was like that until the 5th of November: T1 wiped out LNG, closing the series with a score of 3-0.
In the semi-finals of Worlds 2023, T1 faced perhaps the top contender to win the championship, JD Gaming. As formidable as the Chinese were, they were unable to outplay the experienced T1. As a result, Faker and company won the match with a score of 3-1 and T1 for the sixth (!) time made it to the grand finals of the most important League of Legends tournament. And then won it for the 4th time, which is an absolute record in competitive League of Legends and in esports in general.
After an excellent Long Cоrnеg regular season, LCK Spring 2024 T1s slipped a bit in the regular season, finishing 15-3 and in third place. T1 started the championship playoffs with a match against Hanwha Life Esports and surprisingly for me, they blew the game wide open, losing it 0-3. In the lower play-offs T1 played against DPlus KIA and beat them 3-0. Next, they defeated their HLE opponents 3-1, thus becoming the second and last Korean team at MSI 2024.
T1 made it to the Mid-Season Invitational 2024 after finishing in the top 2 at LCK Spring 2024. At the MSI 2024 MSI Play-In, T1 easily took the two series 2-0 and advanced to the Bracket Stage. They started off the Bracket Stage with a nerve-wracking 3-2 win over G2 Esports. In the match to advance to the top 3 T1 faced BLG and lost rather toothlessly with a 1-3 score. Next up was a match against Liquid, where T1 won 3-1. After that they played against G2 Esports in a rematch of the first round of MSI 2024 and again they won, but this time cleanly - 3-0 in favour of T1. But in the next match T1 could not win: BLG outplayed T1 with the score 3-1.
To play at Esports World Cup 2024, T1 interrupted their performance at LCK Summer 2024, where they had a 5-1 record.
In between LCK Summer 2024 matches, T1 tasted Riyadh, where they became the champions of Esports World Cup 2024 with a prize money of $1,000,000. They defeated TOP Esports in the grand finals.
T1 entered the LCK Summer 2024 play-offs from the 4th place of the regular season. During LCK Summer 2024, they were 11-7, which is not a good result for a club of T1's level. In the first LCK Summer 2024 play-offs T1 beat KT Rolster 3-1, but then ran into HLE and Ledgeili 0-3. Later they outplayed DPlus KIA, but then they repeated the match with HLE and again lost 1-3 and as a result LCK Summer 2024 top 3.
At Worlds 2024 T1 made it to the LCK Regional Finals, where they defeated KT Rolster by a narrow 3-2 margin in the match to qualify for the World Championship.
At Worlds 2024 T1 debuted with a loss to Top Esports in a close match. Then they easily defeated paiN Gaming and defeated Bilibili Gaming in a tough match, which brought them to a 2-1 score. In the play-offs match, T1 outlasted G2 Esports 2-0.
In the World Championship 2024 play-offs, they made their debut with a match against Top Esports. T1 have never lost in Worlds play-offs to an LPL team in their history. Neither have they lost now, outscoring TES 3-0. In the next Worlds 2024 match, T1 met their perennial kryptonite, Gen.G. T1 had never beaten Gen.G over the past year, but that didn't stop them from winning the most important match of the season and winning convincingly, 3-1. In the grand finals of the World Championship, T1 met the strongest team in China, BLG, and fought their way to the World Championship title, closing out the series with a 3-2 win. T1 became 5-time Worlds champions.
The 2025 season T1 Long Teamed up with Baron Group, where they confidently took the top 1. Faker and company, virtually without Gumayusi, won the group 4-1, advancing to the second round of the Play-In. In Play-In they beat Nongshim RedForce with a score of 2-0, thus passing in play-offs. And there was a surprise: T1 Ledge beat HLE in the first round, making it to the Top 6.
T1 had a hard time getting to Road To MSI 2025, coming from the third place in Rounds 1-2, which ensured that they got straight into the 3rd round of Road To MSI 2025. In their debut Road To MSI match, T1 beat KT Rolster 3-1.
Most popular T1 champions
Fiora (5 games, 60% wins) was the most popular on the top line. There was also Jax (3 games, 100% wins), Camile (2 matches, 100% wins), Irelia (2 matches, 100% wins).
In the forest Maokai (7 matches, 85% wins), Sejuani (4 games, 75% wins), Viego (2 matches, 100% wins).
The centre line was occupied by Azir (5 matches, 80% wins), Sylas (3 games, 66% wins), Kassadin (2 matches, 100% wins), Ryze (2 games, 50% wins).
Shooters: Varus (4 games, 50% wins), Lucian (4 games, 100% wins).
Various Sapports: Nami (3 games, 100% wins), Ashe (3 games, 0 wins), Varus (2 games, 100% wins), Miss Fortune (2 games, 100% wins).
Recent head to head: HLE edging it
HLE leads in head-to-head matchups without a chance. T1 have not won a series against Hanwha Life Esports 5 times.
Players to watch: Doran and Zeus.
For me, the most interesting matchup in the T1 vs HLE matchup is the top lane. Doran, who replaced Zeus in T1, will play against his title-winning predecessor. If T1's "young" performer manages to get an even line, T1 will have a good chance to clinch the series.
Predicted result of the match between T1 - HLE at Road to MSI 2025
In this match the most logical result will be a win for HLE, who have been beating T1 for over a year now. But still I have faith in T1, it's time to break the kryptonite and beat their principal rival, even though it will be incredibly difficult.
Bottom line: T1 wins.
