T1 secured a 2-0 victory against Hanjin Brion in their home match during the first round of the '2026 LoL Champions Korea (LCK)' held at Inspire Arena in Yeongjongdo, Incheon, on the 25th. Both sets were grueling battles where the outcome remained uncertain until the very end, with the final margin of victory decided by a razor-thin difference in focus.

The first set was a fierce slugfest from the start. Within five minutes, 'love shots' (mutual kills) occurred simultaneously in the top and mid lanes, and both teams continued to trade kills in relentless skirmishes. T1, led by Moon 'Oner' Hyeon-joon's Nocturne, landed effective hits across the map, while Brion responded with teamfights that leveraged their composition's strengths. Brion took the initial lead, winning a mid teamfight with the firepower of their assassin and bruiser, securing Baron, and pushing T1 back to claim the Chemtech Soul.

Pressed into a defensive position, T1 found relief through superplays by 'Oner' and Ryu 'Keria' Min-seok. 'Oner' stole Baron to halt the opponent's momentum, and during a standoff at the Elder Dragon, Keria's Neeko caught Ezreal, leading to a decisive teamfight victory. Although T1 lost their mid and ADC in a subsequent mid-lane skirmish, they managed to eliminate the opponents pushing into their twin towers, effectively turning the tide to secure the Elder Dragon. With the Elder buff, T1 pushed through Hanjin Brion's stout defense to destroy the Nexus.

In the second set, Kim 'Peyz' Su-hwan and Keria opted for a Caitlyn-Morgana duo, securing first blood with a clean kill, though Kim 'Gideon' Min-seong's Vi responded with a successful top-lane gank. As T1 utilized their roaming bottom duo to pressure towers, Hanjin Brion accumulated kills through pick-off plays. Notably, 'Casting's' Rumble managed a solo kill on Lee 'Faker' Sang-hyeok's Anivia.

After both teams traded teamfights, it was 'Keria' who seized the momentum. He created a highlight-reel moment by landing four consecutive 'Dark Binding' (Q) shots, securing four kills. He put the finishing touch on the play by using Flash and Q to take down Rumble, gifting his team a Baron. However, Hanwha Life Esports (BRION) did not collapse; they overcame every crisis by turning the tide in skirmishes, eventually securing the second Baron. Hanwha Life Esports now holds a slight lead in total gold.

Around the 37-minute mark, T1 used Anivia's wall to pick off Namgung 'Namgung' Seong-hun's Leona, allowing them to equalize the dragon stacks at 3-3 and buy time. The teams remained deadlocked, trading kills in an impromptu mid-lane teamfight. Just before the Elder Dragon spawned, Anivia used a wall to isolate Park 'Teddy' Jin-sung's Miss Fortune, triggering a final engagement. With the focus on Miss Fortune, Caitlyn was able to kite comfortably, leading T1 to an ace and a 2-0 series victory.