HLE Surprising Low Rating at LCK Cup 2026
With only a short time left, the showmatch of the LCK Opening will officially take place, followed by the LCK Cup 2026 – the first major tournament of the year for the professional League of Legends scene in general and for the LCK region in particular. Notably, this season will be even more closely watched as most top-tier teams have undergone significant roster changes. However, what is astonishing is that on Media Day for the LCK Cup 2026, the players representing each team did not choose HLE as their number one championship candidate, despite them being the reigning champions of the tournament.
Specifically, in the predictions for which teams would win the LCK Cup 2026, apart from HLE not being able to select themselves, the remaining votes went to T1 and Gen.G, resulting in Gen.G receiving 5 votes and T1 also receiving 5 votes. This result is astonishing, although Gen.G and T1 themselves acknowledge that HLE will be the most formidable opponent in the Elder bracket.
The Reason Lies Within HLE
In fact, HLE this year is still a “super team” as all 5 positions are filled with top players in their roles, especially in the Top Lane and ADC positions. However, there are numerous issues in the other 3 positions. For Zeka, it’s his champion pool and inconsistent performance. For Delight, this player will spark much debate when compared to Duro or Keria. And Kanavi – who is the in-game leader of the team – also often makes mistakes.
At the recent KeSPA Cup 2025, HLE also lost the championship to T1 due to individual errors and a lack of synergy. Therefore, when it is not yet possible to fully evaluate in an official tournament, it is entirely understandable that HLE is rated lower than Gen.G (who maintained their roster) and T1 (who only changed one position).