The First Stand 2025 Final Was a One-Sided Match for HLE and Zeus’s Impressive Achievement Against T1
Before entering the finals, Hanwha Life Esports was considered the top contender for the championship. Their chances of winning were even higher when Top Esports faced an early defeat. However, even though KC secured a surprising victory in the first game, the overall match was heavily in favor of the LCK representative. The First Stand 2025 championship also marked Zeus’s impressive achievement against his former team, T1.
Specifically, Zeus became the first and only top laner in the history of SKT T1/T1 to win an international title immediately after leaving this successful team, including both starters and substitutes. Even legendary captain MaRin and the “Great Khan” could not achieve what Zeus has. Khan only managed to finish second at the Mid-Season Cup 2020, a tournament that replaced MSI during the pandemic.
Additionally, the First Stand championship has also ended Peanut’s drought of international achievements. Since winning the MSI 2017 with SKT T1, the HLE captain has been through many teams, including some top squads, but he has yet to touch another international title.
Zeus is Continuing to Prove His Worth After Leaving T1
If the rumors during Zeus’s dramatic transfer season are true, he has indeed proven himself even without wearing the T1 jersey and competing alongside Faker. However, the First Stand is definitely just the beginning, and more importantly, MSI and Worlds are coming up. In both of these tournaments, if nothing changes, HLE will remain the top championship contender.
And perhaps, Zeus can “thrive” whether or not he is still with T1; it is only at the more significant upcoming tournaments that the audience can gain a complete and accurate view. Only then can Zeus fully eliminate all doubts and prove that his departure was the right decision.