HLE Gains an Advantage from T1
Over the past two consecutive seasons, HLE has successfully recruited two consecutive FMVP players from T1’s World Championship victories, namely Zeus and Gumayusi. In the 2025 season, Zeus proved his worth by performing exceptionally well in his new colors. Currently, Gumayusi is also showing that he is a signing HLE does not regret. However, T1 has indirectly “helped” HLE become a team that garners more attention, as HLE has the second highest average viewership in the LCK Cup 2026, right after T1.
Accordingly, T1 recruited Gumayusi, a player who can be said to be even more noteworthy than Faker in 2025 due to the drama with the management and upper echelons of T1, as well as the “extreme fan” group T1Gall. Subsequently, he became the FMVP alongside T1’s historic three-peat World Championship title – an unprecedented achievement in League of Legends history that surely no team could replicate, as winning even once or defending the World Championship title can be considered “harder than climbing to the sky.”
Thus, after just two transfer seasons, HLE has deepened its “feuds” with T1. Not only regarding professional matters, but HLE has also become a destination for T1’s superstars. Both players have some drama with their former team upon leaving. In fact, in the T1 – Zeus drama, HLE is also said to be involved.
Moreover, T1 fans, as well as the League of Legends community in general, are eagerly anticipating how Gumayusi will perform without Faker and Keria around him. Therefore, HLE attracting more attention at the LCK Cup 2026 is also a contribution from T1, albeit inadvertently.
But This Also Brings Pressure for HLE
Being in the spotlight more, in the context where HLE has not yet produced very good results, is an invisible pressure for the “Orange House”. However, if they cannot overcome these challenges, perhaps HLE does not yet deserve to be called a “Super Team.”