MSI 2026 Team Review: Hanwha Life Esports Earn Their Crowning Moment in Front of a Ecstatic Crowd
As the LCK first seed, all expectations hung on Hanwha Life Esports at MSI. After T1 lost to G2 Esports and Bilibili Gaming knocked HLE down to the Lower Bracket, many wondered if the LCK was still the dominant force. They recovered from a 2-1 deficit in the Lower Bracket and Grand Finals to lift the MSI trophy. The victory made Zeus and Zeka the first players to lift all three international trophies.
Hanwha Life Esports MSI Results
HLE played five series in total at MSI. They won four of the five, only losing once in the Upper Bracket Final.
- Won 3-0 against Team Secret Whales
- Won 3-0 against G2 Esports
- Lost 3-1 to Bilibili Gaming
- Won 3-2 against LYON
- Won 3-2 against Bilibili Gaming
Hanwha Life Esports Player Review
Zeus
- Total Apex Rating – 6.9 (1st among top laners, tied, 4th among players)
- Champions Played
- Ambessa (3)
- Dr. Mundo (3)
- Rumble (3)
- Anivia (2)
- Swain (2)
- Aatrox
- Jax
- Jayce
- Olaf
- Sion
- Yorick
With HLE’s backs against the wall in the Lower Bracket Final and Grand Final, Zeus brought out unique picks. It was Swain in both Game 4s and then Aatrox and Dr. Mundo in the fifth games. The Mundo was a dangerous pick, playing into Aatrox, one of Mundo’s biggest counters. Zeus weathered the early game and then became a teamfight monster. It was one of three times that Zeus brought out the Mundo. He did it against BLG in the Upper Bracket Final, in the only game HLE won in that series.
The Swain was also a game-changer in both series. Neither LYON nor BLG had a response to the Noxian Grand General. Zeus was by far and away the best top laner in the competition.
Kanavi
- Total Apex Rating – 6.1 (5th among junglers, tied 19th among players)
- Champions Played
- Naafiri (3)
- Vi (3)
- Jarvan IV (2)
- Nocturne (2)
- Qiyana (2)
- Trundle (2)
- Lee Sin
- Nidalee
- Pantheon
- Skarner
- Wukong
- Xin Zhao
Kanavi had a tumultuous MSI. The HLE Jungler rarely had an impact on the series throughout the tournament. He struggled against XUN but was able to contend with the BLG Jungler in the early games. He had moments of reprieve, but for the most part was second best in both series. His positioning and execution in teamfights were suspect. The Qiyana game in the Grand Final was his worst of the tournament, followed by his second-worst on Xin Zhao. At times, he lacked coordination with Delight, affording BLG the advantage.
Zeka
- Total Apex Rating – 6.8 (2nd among mid laners, tied 8th among players)
- Champions Played
- Ahri (3)
- Yone (3)
- Aurora (2)
- Orianna (2)
- Sylas (2)
- Viktor (2)
- Annie
- Cassiopeia
- LeBlanc
- Ryze
- Syndra
- Twisted Fate
Zeka had a couple of uncharacteristic performances at MSI. The Yone against LYON was the best example of it. For a player so well known for his Yone, it was his mistake that allowed LYON back into the game. The Orianna in that same series was disappointing. He mistimed many of his Shockwaves when coordinating with Kanavi’s Nocturne. He stood tall in the final game on his famous Sylas. While he saw his bot lane die around him in fights, he fought valiantly. He made BLG work for the fight wins, and they could never gain significant advantages. He found Viper in the crucial fight to create space for the rest of his team to win the game.
Gumayusi
- Total Apex Rating – 6.6 (3rd among bot laners, tied 10th among players)
- Champions Played
- Ziggs (5)
- Caitlyn (3)
- Lucian (2)
- Miss Fortune (2)
- Ashe
- Jhin
- Kalista
- Kog’Maw
- Mel
- Varus
- Xayah
- Yunara
Gumayusi’s most-played champion, Ziggs, shows HLE’s playstyle. They were willing to leave Gumayusi to play solo while Delight helped Kanavi and the solo laners. He was one of the most consistent members on the roster. He did have a couple of weaker performances. He lacked impact on the Upper Bracket Final, more because the games were decided without him. The Kog’Maw game against LYON was one of his weakest, with him dying in lane to the enemy Lucian. Then in the final series of the tournament, HLE shifted their focus. They gave Gumayusi the resources, and he delivered. Even in HLE’s losses, he was a force to be reckoned with and earned the Total Apex Grand Finals MVP.
Delight
- Total Apex Rating – 6.0 (4th among supports, tied 23rd among players)
- Champions Played
- Camille (5)
- Bard (2)
- Karma (2)
- Lulu (2)
- Milio (2)
- Rakan (2)
- Blitzcrank
- Nautilus
- Rell
- Seraphine
- Shen
Delight had a good start to MSI. He was the best player on the rift in their opening win over Team Secret Whales. However, the struggles started to show against G2. He got caught out numerous times and had weird engages. It got worse from that point, with ON schooling him on how to play roaming supports effectively. Throughout the tournament, Delight struggled to coordinate successfully with Kanavi. There were numerous fights where the two went for different targets or were not in sync. Even his famous Rakan was not as impressive as usual.
Hanwha Life Esports Team Review
HLE earned their first MSI title in the organisation’s history. Zeus and Zeka became the first players to win all three international trophies. At the same time, their coach Homme became the first coach to win all three trophies. HLE had clear draft issues in their Upper Bracket Final loss. They recovered some of that over the course of the next two series. HLE will need to work on their synergy between Jungle and Support. If they can not connect more often, HLE will struggle to stay at the top of the mountain.
More MSI Content
Below is some of the previous MSI content on Total Apex, for the team reviews.
