SK Telecom T1 return to LCK with crushing win over Hanwha
SK Telecom T1 might just be on a hot streak.
The LCK spring champions destroyed Hanwha Life Esports in their return to the LCK and are climbing in the standings. The team returned to their league with the aggressive style they tinkered with at Rift Rivals 2019.
In game one, SKT showed a new look with Lee “Effort” Sang-ho in the support role. Despite that tweak the team played a tight game, with all their players on the same page.
Mid laner Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok locked in his signature Leblanc and led the team on all fronts. He continued to play offensively, pushing the tempo of the game and initiating team fights.
SKT exited the lanes early and grouped to get objectives. Hanwha fell into SKT’s traps multiple times, getting goaded into fights despite being behind in gold and items.
With limited options, Hanwha rushed the baron buff but SKT jungler Kim “Clid” Tae-min snuck into the pit and snatched it out from under the five enemy players. That allowed SKT to march into the base and take the nexus at 26 minutes.
SKT continued to shine through game two. The squad took over the map with smart rotations and pressured Hanwha to retreat.
One by one, SKT destroyed structures without opposition. One baron buff was enough to secure the second win and the series.
Though this gave SKT fans reason to celebrate, the bigger story is the decline of Hanwha. The team is currently in ninth place and is likely to be relegated to the spring promotion tournament. Roster tweaks might be coming down the line for Hanwha and the organization is not scared of making serious changes.
On the other hand, SKT is climbing up the standings slowly but surely. The team is in seventh place with a chance to move up to sixth after their game on Friday against KT Rolster.
It is hard to say if SKT is back in form or just reaping the benefits of some relatively soft competition. The defending champion will face a real test in week seven when they face Griffin.
Read Also
Esports Betting
League of Legends Classic will be back in 2026, here’s what we know
Wasif Ahmed
Riot has announced that League Classic will come out in Season 3 of 2026, as a game mode. League Classic is “old League of Legends”, the ability to play the game on a specific patch from over a decade ago. How much information do we have? What is League Classic, when will League Classic release, and what patch will it be for? Ever wanted to rediscover the old version of ...
League of Legends
Karmine Corp vs Team Liquid: Best betting odds and picks for MSI 2026
Hannan Mundia
While both Karmine Corp and Team Liquid lost one series each, both teams will have another chance to continue in the 2026 MSI play-in stage to potentially qualify for the bracket stage. Both participating teams got swept by T1 in this MSI stage, bringing them to the third round. Team Liquid’s performance against Deep Cross Gaming was impressive, but does that really mean that it has what it takes to ...
Esports Betting
T1 exposes Karmine Corp with 3-0 win at League of Legends MSI 2026
Wasif Ahmed
T1 just beat Karmine Corp 3-0 in the play-in stage of the 2026 Mid-Season Invitational. More importantly, T1 turned KC’s strengths into weaknesses. The bot lane and teamfight prowess that shone in the LEC were no match this time. The match started with Karmine Corp picking a disrespectful draft, blind picking three immobile squishies. Right off the bat, a botched invade put their jungle and bot lane at a disadvantage. ...
League of Legends
KeSPA Cup returns in July 2026 exclusively on Disney+
Hannan Mundia
The KeSPA Cup is slated to return sooner than most expected, though its date and exclusive Disney+ partnership raises some questions. The KeSPA Cup is an annual tournament organized directly by the Korea e-Sports Association. While it doesn’t get nearly as much attention as Riot-organized leagues and events, LCK powerhouses still participate in it. 2025’s KeSPA Cup is still fairly fresh since it took place in December. This year’s tournament ...
Esports Betting
Best betting odds and picks for T1 vs Karmine Corp at MSI 2026
Hannan Mundia
This year’s MSI is still ongoing, and the next match in the play-in stage is slated to pit T1 against the LEC’s Karmine Corp. Both participating teams absolutely destroyed their respective opponents in this stage’s first round. With two 3-0 scores, both Karmine Corp and T1 have established themselves as powerhouses. However, the level of opposition was clearly different, and that fact may show its face in this match. Tournament: ...
Esports Betting
T1 vs Team Liquid: Best betting odds and picks for MSI 2026
Hannan Mundia
The League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) 2026 will kick off with T1 facing off against Team Liquid, but will the match really be as one-sided as the betting odds make it out to be? While some didn’t think that the reigning world champions, T1 would make it to this year’s MSI, the team proved many wrong once again. It barely made it to the play-in stage, where Team Liquid ...
Esports Betting
Karmine Corp vs Deep Cross Gaming: Best betting odds and picks for MSI 2026
Wasif Ahmed
Karmine Corp goes up against Deep Cross Gaming on the first day of MSI 2026. Obviously, KC is the favorite by a long shot. Does DCG actually stand a chance, though? Can they repeat the achievements of CTBC Flying Oyster who took down KC at First Stand 2025? Tournament: Mid-Season Invitational 2026 Stage: Play-in Game: League of Legends Format: Best-of-five Betting tips: As the second seed from a lower region, ...
