HLE and T1 have one point “seemingly common yet completely opposite”
Thus, the group stage of the LCK Cup 2026 has concluded with an unexpected outcome as HLE – the top championship contender – was the first team to exit the competition. However, considering the entire journey of HLE, this result is surprising, even somewhat “cruel” for HLE, but it cannot be denied that the “Orange House” currently cannot be compared to T1 or Gen.G, and has been quite unstable throughout the past period. The only thing is, HLE and T1 share a noteworthy commonality: they are the only two teams that did not use coach-voice throughout this recent phase.
However, this very fact highlights the contrast between the two teams, particularly HLE’s issues. At T1, they fundamentally do not need coach-voice. The short documentary behind the scenes of the 2025 World Championship showed that the coaches of this team are tasked with monitoring the matches, analyzing, and preparing for the next game (if any). And T1 has Faker – a player with a mindset and strategic vision that may surpass many coaches at this moment.
But HLE is the issue: having coach-voice does not help them at all. This is a “star-studded” roster, and Kanavi is a player with significant in-game leadership experience. With lineups like this, using coach-voice when they are struggling with cohesion might not be the solution and could even cause further confusion and distraction among players during matches, as noted by Coach Homme.
And perhaps HLE will not change in the future
With their elimination from the LCK Cup 2026, HLE will have a considerable period of time without matches. However, this could also be a sufficient pause for them to reflect on their shortcomings and make improvements or continue to slide deeper into disappointment. Nonetheless, regarding the coach-voice mechanism, it is likely that HLE will still not use it in the future, simply because they do not yet see its necessity.