Park "Ruler" Jae-hyeok becomes first player in LCK history to win finals MVP twice
Gen.G emerged as the champions of this year’s League of Legends Champions Korea, defeating Hanwha Life Esports 3-1 to claim their second consecutive LCK title.
The closely contested final stretched to four games, with Gen.G eventually overcoming Hanwha Life Esports after roughly four hours of play.
Hanwha Life Esports drew first blood in the opening game, taking early control after dominating a team fight. Gen.G bounced back in the second game through top laner Kim "Kiin" Ki-in and marksman Park "Ruler" Jae-hyeok, who led several team fights to allow Gen.G to eliminate Hanwha Life Esports’ main players and tie the series 1-1.
Ruler continued to make his presence felt in the third game, taking down Hanwha Life Esports ace Lee “Gumayusi” Min-hyung’s Ashe. Gen.G then sealed the title in the fourth game, shutting down Hanwha Life Esports’ attempt to split-push with Fiora and destroying the Nexus to secure the championship.
Ruler was named the finals MVP, becoming the first player in LCK history to win the award twice and the first to receive the honor in consecutive years.
The victory gave Gen.G its second straight LCK championship and seventh domestic league title. It also secured the team the LCK’s No. 1 seed at the 2026 League of Legends World Championship, which is set to begin in the US next month.
As the No. 1 seed, Gen.G will be placed in pool 1 alongside the top-seeded teams from other major regions. The position could give the team a more favorable opening matchup and additional preparation time for the knockout stages, depending on the tournament draw.
Meanwhile, LoL powerhouse T1, led by global esports star Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok, fell to Hanwha Life Esports in Saturday’s game, missing out on a place in the final against Gen.G.
The defeat extended T1’s domestic title drought to four years. The team last won the LCK in the 2022 Spring split and most recently reached the final in the 2024 Spring split and this year.
The domestic setback stands in contrast to T1’s continued dominance on the international stage. The team won the League of Legends World Championship three consecutive times from 2023 through 2025 and will enter this year’s tournament as the LCK’s No. 3 seed.
The 2026 League of Legends World Championship, widely regarded as the biggest event on the League of Legends calendar, will be held in the US next month. The early rounds will take place in Texas before the tournament moves to New York City for the grand finale.
yoonseo.3348@heraldcorp.com
