On the 11st, Hanwha Life Esports defeated Lion 3-2 in the lower bracket final of the 2026 League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) at the Daejeon Convention Center in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, securing their spot in the finals. Having advanced by defeating G2—who had previously taken down T1—Lion showed incredibly sharp form. However, in the final fifth set, Hanwha Life quelled the North American uprising with 'Delight' Yoo Hwan-joong’s signature Blitzcrank and a surprise Aatrox pick from 'Zeus' Choi Woo-je.

After the match, 'Gumayusi' Lee Min-hyeong took the stage and shared his thoughts: “It was an incredibly intense series. It felt like we were staring into the lion’s den. I’m just happy we won and made it to the finals.” As Gumayusi noted, Lion’s momentum after defeating G2 was fierce. He praised his opponents, saying, “I could definitely feel their momentum. They were a strong team with no weaknesses in terms of individual skill or macro play.”

When asked what he considered the most important factor in the series, he replied, “We struggled with our teamfights in some of the games, so we focused on fixing those issues. Also, since it went to a full set, we really had to stay mentally focused.” He added with a sense of responsibility, “It was exhausting to go the distance, but we have another match tomorrow. As veterans, we need to be able to handle that.”

Their opponent in the finals is BLG, who handed them a loss in the third round of the upper bracket. When asked for a score prediction, Gumayusi said, “I’d love to call ‘that score,’ but I’ll add a spoonful of humility and go with 3-1.” He concluded the interview with a firm vow: “I’ve never once lost confidence against BLG. We will make sure to win the championship.”