Hanwha Life reverse sweep T1 3-2 to reach LCK upper bracket final
Hanwha Life reverse sweep T1 3-2 to reach LCK upper bracket final
Hanwha Life Esports completed a dramatic reverse sweep over T1 to win 3:2 and advance to the next stage of the LCK 2026 playoffs.
T1 appeared firmly in control after taking the opening two games, but Hanwha Life completely transformed the series from Game 3 onward and won three consecutive maps.
The victory sets up an upper-bracket showdown between Hanwha Life and Gen.G Esports.
T1 came out firing in Game 1.
Kim "Peyz" Su-hwan delivered an enormous Kalista performance, recording 14 kills as T1 established the early series advantage.
T1 then moved to match point in Game 2 behind strong playmaking from Ryu "Keria" Min-seok's Blitzcrank.
Keria repeatedly created picks around the map, including an early mid-lane roam that punished Zeka's Ahri .
With a 2:0 advantage, T1 stood just one game away from advancing.
Zeka sparks the comeback
Hanwha Life finally responded in Game 3.
Kim "Zeka" Geon-woo took control of the map on Akali, beginning with a solo kill against Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok's Yone.
The advantage quickly expanded through mid lane, while HLE also found success elsewhere on the map.
That victory finally broke T1 's momentum and gave Hanwha Life a path back into the series.
HLE force Silver Scrapes
Game 4 began with Seo "Kanavi" Jin-hyeok's Xin Zhao attacking mid lane and helping Zeka's Cassiopeia secure first blood against Faker's Orianna.
T1 immediately answered by catching Xin Zhao around the Void Grubs and secured all three early objectives.
The balance broke around Hanwha Life's second dragon.
HLE established control first, secured the objective and then demolished T1 in the ensuing teamfight without losing a player, collecting four kills.
The victory allowed Hanwha Life to take control of the game and eventually force a deciding fifth map.
Zeus strikes first in Game 5
The final game began with Choi "Zeus" Woo-je finding a level-three solo kill on Ambessa.
Kanavi's Cho'Gath then punished an invading Naafiri, while Hanwha Life successfully countered an attempted play around an isolated Caitlyn.
T1 eventually found a response, catching Zeka's Taliyah and later punishing HLE after they moved deep into T1 's jungle.
The decisive fight came around the third dragon.
Hanwha Life used the durability of Ambessa and Cho'Gath to absorb T1 's engage and completely turned the fight, securing an ace.
T1 remained dangerous whenever Peyz's Jinx activated her passive, but HLE's Ocean Soul eventually proved too difficult to fight through.
Around 24 minutes, T1 attempted another engagement, only for their Lissandra to be silenced and eliminated before accomplishing anything.
Hanwha Life swept the fight, secured Ocean Soul and Baron, and then won the final mid-lane battle to complete the reverse sweep.
HLE advance, T1 drop to lower bracket
The 3:2 victory sends Hanwha Life Esports forward to face Gen.G.
T1 drop into the lower bracket, meaning every remaining series will now carry elimination stakes.
Both teams have already secured qualification for Worlds 2026, leaving LCK seeding and the domestic championship as the primary stakes moving forward.
