On the first day of the ninth week of the 2021 LCK Summer Split, Hanwha Life Esports, led by Chovy, faced another defeat in their sprint for a playoff spot. The swift loss to Liiv SANDBOX in both games made viewers feel that Chovy and his teammates were genuinely exhausted.
However, according to Korizon reporter Kevin Kim, theoretically, HLE’s chances of making the playoffs are not completely over, as the final spot is still hotly contested among three teams: HLE, Afreeca Freecs, and KT Rolster. With nearly equal win-loss records, the opportunity can be considered evenly distributed among the three teams in their remaining matches of the 2021 LCK Summer Split.
Following the defeat to LSB, HLE is left with only 2 must-win matches, one of which is a direct clash with AF. The AF team can be considered one of the most unpredictable teams of the 2021 Summer Split, as they can defeat DWG KIA and Gen.G Esports, but can also lose 0-2 to Fredit BRION or 1-2 to Liiv SANDBOX. Therefore, the direct match against AF can be seen as HLE’s season finale. Additionally, HLE fans must hope they win their match against T1 and that AF loses all three of their remaining matches. These are the necessary and sufficient conditions for HLE to advance to the playoffs.
On the other hand, according to reporter Kim, if HLE fails to make the playoffs, they may still salvage a spot at the World Championship, but at that point, the team would no longer have control over their destiny and would depend entirely on the performances of LSB and (most likely) AF in the playoffs, as both teams did not earn points from the Spring Split. The reasoning is that HLE finished third in the Spring, so theoretically, they could participate in the regional qualifiers.
However, no matter what happens, HLE must fight until the very end to honor their fans and the efforts they have made throughout this time. The window of opportunity is now very narrow, but in League of Legends, as long as the Nexus is still standing, everything can still be salvaged.