Long regarded as one of the “big players” in LCK, Hanwha Life Esports surprised many fans when they decided to “sacrifice” the 2022 season by not bringing in any quality personnel. Notably, they had previously parted ways with several key players, most notably Chovy and Deft. However, heading into the 2023 season, HLE returned with an “all-star” lineup, featuring 3 World Championship (CKTG) champions: Kingen, Zeka, and Viper.
However, after the conclusion of the Spring 2023 season, HLE is still struggling to find their own path in the competition for titles. In fact, HLE finished 5th in the Spring 2023 tournament and nearly lost their spot in the playoffs. Nevertheless, they were defeated by Gen.G, who went on to become champions, leaving HLE to finish the Spring 2023 season in 4th place.
According to many fans, based on their performance in the Spring and continuing to the present (HLE has won 3 and lost 2 in the last 5 matches), the main reason is their poor transfer policy, specifically regarding Kingen’s position. LCK fans argue that Kingen has a very limited champion pool, and it has been proven that when Aatrox or recently K’Sante are not available, Kingen cannot threaten any top laner except those who are significantly weaker.
Of course, this opinion has sparked much debate. However, there is considerable agreement among fans that if the terms of signing Zeka did not include Kingen, HLE might have signed a better top laner. In fact, if no good options were available, HLE could have held onto DuDu, who is now playing for KDF after leaving HLE at the end of the 2022 offseason.
Kingen’s decline in performance is not surprising, as aside from the 2022 World Championship, he has never been regarded as a reliable top laner. Perhaps, if the reigning 2022 World Champion continues to underperform, HLE will seek a replacement after this season ends.