On the 3rd, Hanwha Life won the first game of their best-of-five (Bo5) bracket stage match against TSW at the 2026 League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational (MSI), held at the Daejeon Convention Center's second exhibition hall, in just 26 minutes.

Hanwha Life Esports gained an early advantage in the mid lane when Zeka's Cassiopeia took down Ryze, followed shortly by another kill on Ryze with the help of Kanavi's Skarner. After securing a kill in the top lane as well, Hanwha Life maintained a strong lead. TSW managed to stay in the game by picking up two kills of their own, taking down Kanavi's Skarner and Zeus' Jayce in succession.

However, despite conceding those kills, Hanwha Life remained firmly in control of the laning phase and macro play, holding a lead of over 4k gold by the 15-minute mark. The gap between the two teams continued to widen. After quickly pressuring the first and second-tier towers and seizing control of the enemy jungle, Hanwha Life extended their lead to approximately 10k gold by the 23rd minute, effectively securing the win.

After comfortably taking Baron, Hanwha Life intensified their pressure and ultimately destroyed TSW's Nexus in 26 minutes to take a 1-0 lead in the series.