HLE Sends Intense “Challenge” to T1
On February 8th, both powerhouse teams T1 and HLE took to the stage in the play-in round of the LCK Cup 2025. With a superior level compared to NS and DRX, both T1 and HLE easily secured 2-0 victories. This result means HLE will face T1 directly, while the winner of the NS vs DRX match will meet KT in the upcoming playoffs of the LCK Cup 2025.
Essentially, both T1 and HLE have proven their strength in recent years. Furthermore, they are also involved in the “drama” surrounding Zeus’s transfer, which resulted in him joining HLE. Therefore, immediately after the match between HLE and DRX, many questions about the spotlight match against T1 emerged. According to comments from coach Dandy and captain Peanut, HLE is very confident in their ability to defeat T1 in the upcoming match.
“The upcoming match against T1 will be a Bo5, so our strategic preparation, bans/picks will be very different from a Bo3. However, we are confident we can defeat this opponent as the whole team does not want to be eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. We will bring the most surprising picks, even champions that our opponent has never seen before as options to flexibly adjust our lineup. I believe the flexibility we have is crucial for victory” – Peanut shared after the match.
T1 Needs to Be Cautious of HLE’s “Unique Strategies”
In terms of statistics, HLE seems to be demonstrating an extremely high level of flexibility in champion selection during matches. Specifically, in the LCK Cup 2025, Delight has played 10 different champions while other members like Zeus, Zeka, and Peanut have also used 9 different champions. Even Viper, in the ADC position, has played 8 champions recently. Moreover, HLE has previously “caused a stir” by allowing Zeus to play Anivia Top while still operating the team composition very smoothly.
Therefore, HLE’s claims about having many “unique strategies” or being ready to pick champions that T1 has never seen before are entirely plausible. To counter this, T1 needs to conduct very thorough research on various champion types. Moreover, monitoring which champions the opponent uses in solo queue can also provide valuable information. Hopefully, T1 will make the most of the break before this epic showdown to find the optimal strategy to counter HLE.