The HLE – Gen.G match reinforces the reason Riot is determined to “address” the meta of League of Legends
The LCK Cup 2025 concluded with Hanwha Life Esports securing victory after a tense BO5 against Gen.G. This is also the second consecutive final that the MSI 2024 champion has lost to HLE. However, despite this match being a finale filled with all elements from professionalism to emotion, many League of Legends fans have had to reluctantly admit: Riot’s decision to eliminate the meta shift is reasonable.
Throughout game 5, almost no one could see player Kiin demonstrate anything significant, except for about… 4 instances of Call of the Forge God, none of which were effective. Part of it was HLE’s exceptional performance, but another factor was that Kiin was “outplayed” too many times. The root cause stems from the meta shift.
With the need to select Ornn, typically this champion would just need to play fixed in the Top Lane and rely on the back to gain experience. However, the meta shift forced Kiin into a disadvantaged position. In fact, after more than 10 minutes, he only reached level 6, almost as late as the Support.
The League of Legends community also feels “overfed” with the roaming meta
The use of Ornn indicates that Gen.G aimed for a long-term strategy, but Kiin’s lack of experience stretched the game excessively. Therefore, many viewers admitted that the roaming meta, which might have initially seemed unique, has now been “spammed” to the point of boredom, making Riot’s actions understandable.
Of course, HLE’s victory is well-deserved, and each of their positions did not make any serious mistakes in the deciding game. The Fearless Draft mode was also executed very well by HLE with players possessing a wide champion pool. Currently, HLE is seen as having a strong chance to bring victory to their region at the upcoming First Stand, which will be held in South Korea.