Gen.G Crowned LCK 2025 Champions After Defeating Hanwha Life Esports

The professional League of Legends scene in Korea has a new champion after a thrilling series between the top two teams of the season. Gen.G claimed the LCK 2025 title with a 3-1 victory over Hanwha Life Esports(HLE) in the grand final held on September 28.

After a surprising loss to KT Rolster, Gen.G was forced to advance through the lower bracket, delivering strong performances and even defeating T1 to secure its spot in the final at Inspire Arena in Incheon, South Korea. Hanwha Life, meanwhile, reached the grand final first after a dominant 3-0 win over KT in the upper bracket.

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Gen.G Shows Superiority From the First Map

Credit: LCK

Despite drafting a scaling composition, Gen.G gained an early lead in the opening game with picks on Han "Peanut" Wang-ho that allowed their carries to snowball. In teamfights, Park “Ruler” Jae-hyuk was crucial in extending the gold advantage, and although Hanwha Life tried to fight back around neutral objectives, Gen.G stayed ahead and closed out the map in 32 minutes.

In the second game, Gen.G responded well to Hanwha Life’s front-to-back composition. Kim "Canyon" Geon-bu created an early advantage, securing the first objectives of the match. HLE managed to narrow the gold gap with a fight around the fourth dragon, but it wasn’t enough to stop the reigning Mid-Season Invitational 2025 champions. A crucial pick from Jeong "Chovy" Ji-hoon on Kim "Zeka" Geon-woo led to a clean ace, putting Gen.G one win away from the title.

Game 3 Goes to Hanwha Life After Draft Advantage

In Game 3, Hanwha Life drafted a stronger composition, securing power picks such as Sylas for Zeka and Smolder for Park “Viper” Do-hyeon. Rotations from Han “Peanut” Wang-ho allowed the team to claim early objectives, and with well-executed teamfights, they extended their gold lead. In under 30 minutes, Gen.G suffered its first loss of the series with a deficit of more than 14,000 gold.

The final game was the closest of the series, with both teams opting for aggressive support picks, Joo “Duro” Min-kyu on Blitzcrank and Yoo “Delight” Hwan-joong on Pyke. Skirmishes around neutral objectives kept the gold nearly even, with Gen.G holding only a 1,000 advantage. But in the late game, Jeong “Chovy” Ji-hoon made the difference on Cassiopeia, landing a decisive ultimate in a mid-lane fight. That engagement gave Gen.G the momentum to close out the match and secure the LCK Summer 2025 championship.

Ruler Shines as Gen.G Secures Sixth LCK Championship

With this victory, Gen.G secured their sixth LCK title and will represent Korea as the first seed at Worlds 2025. Ruler was named the MVP of the finals, earning his first regional championship since returning to the team in November 2024. Hanwha Life Esports and KT Rolster have also qualified for Worlds, while T1 must fight for the final spot in the regional qualifier against JDG Gaming, the fourth seed from China’s LPL.