Hanwha Life Esports enter 2026 as one of the most fascinating teams in the LCK. Two years ago they were fighting to even reach playoffs consistently. Now they are reigning LCK Summer 2024 champions, First Stand 2025 international winners, and carrying one of the most star-studded rosters in Korean history — three Worlds champions in a single lineup.
This guide covers everything you need to know about HLE right now: how the 2024 championship happened, what came after, who is on the roster in 2026, and how the team is performing heading into the MSI qualification race.
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Where HLE Stands in 2026
As of the end of LCK 2026 Rounds 1-2 (May 31, 2026), Hanwha Life Esports finished first in the regular season with a 15-3 record, overtaking T1 and Gen.G on the final day with a 2-0 sweep of Hanjin Brion. That result earned them the top seed entering the LCK Road to MSI playoff bracket and a direct path toward qualifying for the 2026 MSI in Daejeon, South Korea.
It is a remarkable turnaround from where 2026 started. HLE finished dead last — 10th place — at the LCK Cup 2026 in February, drawing criticism from analysts who questioned whether the new roster could build synergy fast enough to compete. The regular season answered that question emphatically.
HLE 2026 Roster — Three Worlds Champions in One Team
The 2026 HLE roster is the most decorated in the team’s history. After Peanut’s retirement and Viper’s departure to the LPL, the organization restructured around a core of Zeka and Delight and brought in two former T1 stars to complete the lineup.
| Role | Player | Background | Worlds Titles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top | Zeus | Joined HLE in 2025 from T1 | 2 (T1 2022, 2024) |
| Jungle | Kanavi | Returned to LCK from LPL after years with JDG | 1 (JDG 2023) |
| Mid | Zeka | LCK Summer 2024 Finals MVP — HLE cornerstone | 0 (LCK champion) |
| ADC | Gumayusi | Joined HLE in late 2025 from T1 | 3 (T1 2022, 2023, 2025) |
| Support | Delight | LCK Summer 2024 champion — retained from title roster | 0 (LCK champion) |
Zeka, Delight, and the LCK Summer 2024 championship legacy form the foundation. Zeus and Gumayusi — both three-time and two-time Worlds winners respectively — were added around that core, giving HLE arguably the most individually talented roster in Korea in 2026.
The LCK Summer 2024 Title That Started Everything
To understand why HLE matter in 2026, you need to know what happened on September 8, 2024. HLE defeated Gen.G 3-2 in the LCK Summer Grand Finals — their first championship since ROX Tigers won LCK Summer 2016, eight years prior.
The context made it extraordinary. Gen.G had gone 17-1 in the regular season and won every major tournament in 2024 up to that point. One more trophy would have completed the first Golden Road in LCK history. HLE shattered that dream in five games — coming through the lower bracket after losing the upper bracket final 3-1 — and delivered one of the most emotional moments in recent Korean esports history.
Post-match quotes from the winning team:
Peanut, whose LCK journey began at ROX Tigers where the trophy was last won: “My first title was with ROX Tigers. It just feels so special to be back in the same team and be able to lift the trophy. It feels like such a drama, such a cinema.”
Zeka, who won Finals MVP: “I promised that I would lift the trophy with my right hand, and I’m so happy I could keep this promise.”
Viper, who later departed for the LPL: “It feels great, it feels so refreshing. I feel like I’ve been able to prove myself through this moment.”
LCK Summer 2024 Grand Finals — Full Results Table
| Stage | Match | Score | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Bracket Semifinal | HLE vs T1 | HLE 3 — T1 0 | August 2024 |
| Upper Bracket Final | Gen.G vs HLE | Gen.G 3 — HLE 1 | August 31, 2024 |
| Lower Bracket Final | HLE vs T1 | HLE 3 — T1 1 | September 7, 2024 |
| Grand Finals | HLE vs Gen.G | HLE 3 — Gen.G 2 | September 8, 2024 |
| Finals MVP | Zeka (Mid — HLE) | — | September 8, 2024 |
| Summer Season MVP | Chovy (Mid — Gen.G) | — | 2024 season |
| HLE championship drought | 8 years | Last win: Summer 2016 | ROX Tigers |
| Gen.G regular season record | 17-1 | Golden Road dream shattered | 2024 season |
Zeka’s MVP and the Mid-Lane Legacy
The LCK Summer 2024 Finals MVP award going to Zeka raised eyebrows in some quarters. Chovy, his Gen.G rival, put up a personal KDA of 15-2 against him across the series and was statistically dominant in most individual metrics. By numbers alone, Chovy played better.
But Zeka won MVP because impact in a Grand Finals is measured in critical moments, not KDA lines. His rotations, teleport reads, and teamfight entries in the deciding games tipped the series in HLE’s favor in a way the scoreboard couldn’t fully capture.
The win also placed Zeka in exclusive company. Since 2019, only a handful of mid-laners have reached the LCK Grand Finals — Faker, ShowMaker, Chovy, BDD, and now Zeka. For Chovy personally, it was another near miss at the biggest stages — adding to the 2023 Worlds Grand Finals loss as the defining painful chapters of an otherwise elite career.
Peanut — The End of an Era
The LCK Summer 2024 title was the second-to-last trophy Peanut would ever lift. He added a LCK Cup 2025 and the inaugural First Stand 2025 international title ($300,000 prize pool) before announcing in September 2025 that Worlds 2025 would be his final tournament. He planned to complete mandatory military service in 2026.
HLE were eliminated from Worlds 2025 in the quarterfinals by Gen.G — a 3-1 defeat that, despite being a loss, produced what many described as the best single series of the entire tournament. Game 2 ran 59 minutes and could have swung either way. Peanut played his final professional match with a triple kill in Game 2 that kept HLE alive into the late stages. It wasn’t enough, but it was a fitting final act.
On November 6, 2025, Peanut officially announced his retirement. His final career record: 7 LCK titles, MSI 2017 champion, First Stand 2025 champion, over 10 years as a professional player — widely regarded as the greatest jungler in LCK history.
How HLE Rebuilt for 2026
The 2024 LCK Summer win gave HLE the credibility to attract elite talent in the 2025 offseason. Here is exactly how the roster was rebuilt after the championship.
Departures: Peanut (retired — military service), Viper (signed with Bilibili Gaming in the LPL), Doran (moved to T1 after T1 parted ways with Zeus).
Arrivals: Zeus joined from T1 after winning Worlds 2024 as a two-time Worlds champion. Gumayusi signed from T1 in late November 2025, making him the biggest single offseason move in the LCK that year — a three-time Worlds champion switching sides in one of Korean esports’ most watched transfers. Kanavi arrived to replace Peanut in the jungle, returning to the LCK from years in the LPL with JDG where he won Worlds 2023.
The combined Worlds titles across Zeus (2), Kanavi (1), and Gumayusi (3) gives HLE six world championship rings on their starting roster in 2026 — a figure no other Korean organization currently matches.
HLE 2026 Season — Results So Far
The season has been a story of two chapters. LCK Cup 2026 in February was a disaster — HLE finished 10th and last, with analysts questioning whether the new star-heavy lineup could build the teamwork needed to compete with Gen.G and T1 at the top.
The LCK 2026 regular season told a completely different story. HLE finished first with a 15-3 record, sweeping the final match on May 31 to overtake Gen.G and T1 in the standings. The team Zeka and Delight anchor has found its rhythm with Zeus and Gumayusi integrating better than the LCK Cup suggested.
They now face T1 in the LCK Road to MSI third-round decider, with the winner earning a direct spot at MSI 2026 in Daejeon. HLE vs T1 — Gumayusi and Zeus vs their former team — is already one of the most anticipated matches on the 2026 Korean calendar.
Conclusion
Hanwha Life Esports in 2026 is a team built on the foundation of the LCK Summer 2024 championship and rebuilt into something potentially more dangerous. Three Worlds champions, the LCK Summer 2024 title, two 2025 trophies, and a first-place finish in LCK 2026 Rounds 1-2. Here is where every storyline stands heading into the playoff race:
- The championship legacy: LCK Summer 2024 ended an 8-year drought and changed how Korean teams view HLE as a destination.
- Zeka’s evolution: From Finals MVP in 2024 to cornerstone of the most decorated roster in LCK history in 2026.
- Peanut’s legacy: Retired November 2025 as the greatest jungler in LCK history — 7 LCK titles, MSI champion, First Stand champion.
- The 2026 roster: Zeus, Kanavi, Zeka, Gumayusi, Delight — six world championship rings between three players.
- The current mission: MSI 2026 qualification in Daejeon. HLE vs T1 is the match that decides it.
The team that broke Gen.G’s Golden Road dream in 2024 is still hungry. The 2026 season may be the chapter where HLE go from champions to dynasty.
FAQ
Who is on the HLE roster in 2026?
The Hanwha Life Esports 2026 roster consists of Zeus (top), Kanavi (jungle), Zeka (mid), Gumayusi (ADC), and Delight (support). The roster contains three Worlds champions — Zeus (2 titles from T1), Kanavi (1 title with JDG 2023), and Gumayusi (3 titles with T1). Zeka and Delight are both LCK Summer 2024 champions and holdovers from the title-winning roster.
Did HLE win LCK Summer 2024?
Yes. Hanwha Life Esports won LCK Summer 2024 on September 8, 2024, defeating Gen.G 3-2 in the Grand Finals. It was their first LCK championship in eight years — their predecessor ROX Tigers last won in LCK Summer 2016. Zeka won the Finals MVP award. The win ended Gen.G’s attempt at the first Golden Road in LCK history.
Why did Peanut retire?
Peanut retired from professional League of Legends following HLE’s elimination from Worlds 2025 on October 28, 2025. He had announced before the tournament that it would be his final competitive event, as he was required to complete mandatory South Korean military service in 2026. He officially retired on November 6, 2025, ending a career spanning over 10 years with 7 LCK titles.
How is HLE performing in the 2026 LCK season?
Hanwha Life Esports finished first in the LCK 2026 Rounds 1-2 regular season with a 15-3 record as of May 31, 2026, overtaking T1 and Gen.G on the final day. The strong regular season came after a disappointing 10th-place finish at LCK Cup 2026 in February. They now enter the LCK Road to MSI playoffs as the top seed.