Both T1 and HLE Become the First Exception at This Season’s LCK Cup
As is well known, in the new season, LCK and LCP are the two regions selected to test Riot’s new “coach-voice” mechanism applied to professional matches. Since the start of the LCK Cup 2026, almost all teams have used this mechanism at least once in each match. However, in the first “Super Classic” showdown of the LCK Cup 2026, HLE and T1 became exceptions as throughout 3 matches, neither team activated this mechanism at any time.
According to Coach Homme’s comments after the match, he believes that introducing coach-voice could distract players, so it was not used: “My biggest concern is that the players’ focus could be disrupted.” The new coach of HLE also mentioned that for teams that are already strong with quality players, using this feature may not change much. “This mechanism can be helpful at the start of the game, such as to check summoner spells. But in the middle and late game, it will be hard to be effective.”
However, Coach Homme also stated that for teams struggling with execution, this feature could prove useful. Sharing the same view on how coach-voice affects players, Oner also affirmed that he “does not feel fond of this mechanism.”
The superstar jungler of T1 said: “If I were playing and suddenly heard my coach’s voice, I wouldn’t feel comfortable, I’d lose focus, and therefore, I’m not too keen on this mechanism.”
HLE and T1 May Be the Only Teams Not to Use Coach-Voice This Season
With what they have shown, HLE and T1 have demonstrated that even without coach-voice, they can still create breakthroughs and execute the game as per their usual habits. Moreover, the players of both teams are top superstars in their positions. Therefore, all they need is maximum focus, as the players also have quality in-game leaders. Thus, it would not be surprising if T1 and HLE continue to reject coach-voice in the future.