Source: Riot Games

Hanwha Life Esports and T1 will represent the LCK at the 2026 Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) in Daejeon. This marks Hanwha Life Esports' first-ever appearance at the tournament, while T1 extends its streak to five consecutive years, dating back to 2022.

Riot Games, the organizer of the League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK), announced on the 15th that Hanwha Life Esports and T1 have qualified for the MSI in Daejeon following the results of the 3rd through 5th rounds of the 2026 LCK MSI Qualifiers, held at the Wonju DB Promy Arena in Wonju, Gangwon Province, from the 12nd to the 14th.

Hanwha Life Esports, which finished first in the 2026 LCK regular season with a 15-3 record, defeated T1 3-1 in the 3rd round of the qualifiers on the 12nd, showcasing superior performance to secure the first seed.

In the first set, Hanwha Life Esports held a significant lead until the 33rd minute before T1’s counterattack forced a comeback; however, Hanwha Life managed to break through the center to reclaim the win. After losing the second set, Hanwha Life Esports saw jungler 'Kanavi' Seo Jin-hyeok elevate his performance from the third set onward, leading the team to a 3-1 victory. Seo Jin-hyeok dominated the third set on Lee Sin with a July 1, 2010 KDA, and in the fourth set, he played Maokai, contributing to 15 of the team's 19 kills to secure the win.

Having joined the LCK in 2018, Hanwha Life Esports has earned the honor of competing in the MSI for the first time in nine years.

T1, after failing to overcome Hanwha Life Esports in the 3rd round, secured the final MSI ticket on the 13rd by defeating Gen.G 3-2 in a full-set thriller in the 4th round, following Gen.G's 3-0 sweep of kt Rolster.

In the first set, T1 struggled against Gen.G's overwhelming attack, losing 10-30. In the second set, T1 traded kills in a 39-minute slugfest before 'Phase' Kim Su-hwan’s Kalista exploded in the late game to even the series. In the third set, T1 took a 2-1 lead after 'Doran' Choi Hyun-joon’s Olaf used Teleport to flank Gen.G, while Kim Su-hwan’s Senna pushed from the front. After losing the fourth set due to conceding key objectives like the Dragon and Baron Nashor, T1 trailed in kills for much of the fifth set. However, after a team fight following a Dragon hunt at 22 minutes, 'Faker' Lee Sang-hyeok’s Ryze secured three kills, leading to a Baron Nashor take and a final push that destroyed Gen.G’s Nexus.

By defeating Gen.G, who were aiming for their third consecutive MSI title, T1 set a record of five consecutive MSI appearances, starting from the 2022 tournament in Busan through this year's event in Daejeon.

With Hanwha Life Esports and T1 confirmed for the 2026 MSI in Daejeon starting in late June, T1 will begin in the Play-In stage, while Hanwha Life Esports will enter the tournament in the Bracket stage starting July 3rd.

The Wonju DB Promy Arena, which hosted the 3rd through 5th rounds of the 2026 LCK MSI Qualifiers, was packed with spectators for all three days, proving the intense interest in the LCK.

The 3rd round match between Hanwha Life Esports and T1 on Friday the 12nd sold out all 4500 seats, and the final match between Gen.G and T1 on the 14th was also at capacity. Over the three days, approximately 13k fans attended the qualifiers at the Wonju DB Promy Arena.

The Wonju Chiak Gymnasium, a special fan zone located next to the arena, also saw a total of 11k visitors over the three days, further demonstrating the popularity of the LCK.