HLE coach admits the whole team “feared” Gen.G’s Kiin the most
One of the two highlight matches of the final week of LCK 2026 Rounds 1-2 was the showdown between HLE and Gen.G. Although Gen.G currently faces many issues, the reigning LCK champions cannot be underestimated. The match proved that Gen.G still has players who can single-handedly turn the game around. Coupled with the poor form of HLE’s own superstars, Gen.G secured the overall victory. However, it was not Chovy but Kiin whom HLE’s coach Homme feared more.
Accordingly, coach Homme admitted: “We focused too much on champion picks that counter Kiin’s strong champions and overlooked other options. That was a mistake from the coaching staff for not fully assessing the entire situation.”
In fact, the pivotal game that helped Gen.G regain their momentum and push for victory was game 2, where Chovy and Kiin were the two best performers. Without Kiin’s Yorick doing almost everything (lane pressure, making plays, damage), Chovy and Canyon probably wouldn’t have had much impact given Gen.G’s bot lane was heavily losing.
HLE still has a lot of work to do
The loss to Gen.G was somewhat expected as the reigning LCK champions remain strong and are aiming to compete for a top 2 spot in the group stage alongside T1. Moreover, the intense schedule has drained the players’ stamina since “The Camels” had to play four consecutive days. However, more importantly, HLE needs to improve their focus during critical moments of the match.
In game 2, HLE had many advantages and got stronger the longer the game went. But their impatience at several points allowed Gen.G to turn the tables. This must stop immediately as the Road to MSI nears, and HLE must be determined to secure their ticket to MSI at all costs.