Hanwha Life Esports secured first place by defeating Hanjin Brion 2-0 in the final match of the 2026 LoL Champions Korea (LCK) regular season Round 2, held at LoL PARK in Jongno on the 31st. Despite the risk of falling to third place with a loss, Hanwha Life Esports delivered a solid performance befitting their status to clinch the top seed. With this victory, they advance directly to the 'Road to MSI' first-seed decider, where they will face T1.

The following is the full interview with 'Zeka' Kim Geon-woo, who was selected as the Player of the Match (POM).

Q. You secured the win against Hanjin Brion and held onto first place. How do you feel about finishing Round 2 at the top.

'Zeka' = Depending on today's results, we could have ended up anywhere from first to third, so I'm very happy that we finished in first place.

Q. You must have really wanted to defend that top spot. How was your preparation leading up to the match?

'Zeka' = Rather than letting the rankings create unnecessary pressure, I thought we would win if we just played our game as we always do. So, I tried not to dwell on the potential shifts in the standings.

Q. In Game 1, you let the opponent have Orianna while you picked Viktor alongside a mobile Bard.

'Zeka' = For starters, Viktor has a good laning phase against Orianna. Also, the current pick-ban meta involves strategically leaving OP champions open to counter them, so we prepared a lot for that approach.

Q. Early in the game, 'Delight' Yoo Hwan-joong's Bard roamed to mid lane quickly, helping you secure first blood. What kind of communication did you have?

'Zeka' = From the start of the game, we talked a lot about situations where we could gain an advantage early on. Thanks to 'Delight' coming in at the right moment, we were able to get a huge lead in the mid lane.

Q. In Game 2, the opponent picked Twisted Fate and Taliyah, showing their intent to focus on side lanes.

'Zeka' = Even before they picked Twisted Fate and Taliyah, I already thought our team composition was much more complete. I judged their value and overall composition to be unstable, so I just believed that if we played according to our own flow and composition, we would definitely win.

Q. The synergy between the 'Zeka-Kanavi' duo, who picked Ryze and Pantheon in Game 2, was excellent. Your mid-jungle coordination seems to be improving every day.

'Zeka' = We click well in-game, and we've become much closer personally than we were during the LCK Cup. Since the overall team atmosphere is so great, I think our in-game coordination has improved along with it.

Q. Near the end of the match, 'Gumayusi' Lee Min-hyeong desperately shouted, "Give me the penta!" but no one answered.

'Zeka' = To be honest, I didn't even realize 'Gumayusi' had picked up a triple kill. Lately, we have a bit of a meme culture in our team where we shout "Penta! Penta!" whenever we win a teamfight. He hadn't even gotten a quadra kill yet, so I thought it was a bit shameless to ask for a penta kill—I didn't really consider it (laughs). I think it would be better if he gets a quadra kill first next time before asking.

Q. You had a tough time during the last LCK Cup, but you ended up finishing first in the regular season Round 2. Looking back, how do you feel?

'Zeka' = It was a painful time back then, but I think we were able to finish this regular season in first place precisely because we struggled then. I'll keep this momentum going and work hard for the upcoming 'Road to MSI'.

Q. You'll be facing T1 in the 'Road to MSI' first-seed decider. Please share your aspirations for Hanwha Life's first-ever MSI appearance.

'Zeka' = I really want to make it to this 'Road to MSI'. The finals are being held in Daejeon, and when you think of Daejeon, you think of 'Hanwha,' right? I really hope we can go to Daejeon and show them two Hanwhas.