LoL First Stand 2025 Final, KC vs HLE: Could they do this?

The EU League of Legends fans rejoice, as Karmine Corp bounced back from barely qualifying for the FST 2025 Playoffs to reaching the final match. If their recovery takes one more step, these players would be true heroes for the entire region.

It’s not exactly a “just another Sunday” situation for Hanwha Life Esports, as we have the first-ever LoL First Stand tournament in stakes. However, the Korean champions playfully destroy the hopes and dreams of their opponents, one after another.

With all eyes on Hanwha Life, they should avoid being overconfident with their tournament success. In a way, it’s easier for Karmine Corp: just being in the international final is a win for them. However, cracking under the pressure is also a thing in the top-level competition.

Everything about the League of Legends First Stand 2025 Final match between HLE and KC is here!

Watch the match Karmine Corp vs Hanwha Life Esports at the First Stand 2025 right here, as the stream is embedded below.

The teams played before — this is the nature of the Round Robin format. That match KC vs HLE was on Day 4 of the First Stand 2025. Sure, Karmine Corp lost back then, but they weren’t easy victims. KC fought amazingly, especially in game 2. Perhaps, they did not have enough time to adapt? 

With this best-of-five (Bo5) FST 2025 Final, Karmine Corp players have more space for adaptation. Hanwha Life Esports are known masters of five-game LoL matches with the fearless draft system, as they defeated T1 and Gen.G with such “full runs”.

It was logical to expect a confident win from Hanwha Life Esports at the First Stand 2025 Final against Karmine Corp. However, the way it happened was still heartbreaking for the EU team. 

HLE lost game 1 and gave an illusion of hope for KC. Then, they smashed their opponents extremely hard in the remaining games. There literally were no chances for Karmine Corp to recover.

Even game 4 was desperate. HLE felt overconfident and made some mistakes during their siege attempt. That did not help KC at all.

Hanwha Life Esports are first-ever champions of the new League of Legends international event, the First Stand 2025. With their impressive matches, these players really deserve this achievement.

After some slow farming, Karmine Corp went for the first collapse and killed Zeus. Hanwha Life returned a kill around the first Voidgrubs fight, on Yike. The HLE aggression continued, and Caliste, the AD Carry of KC, fell victim. 

Hanwha Life risked getting a couple of Voidgrubs from the second pack, to have four in total, but they lost two players. The biggest win for Karmine Corp was the first Dragon.

KC claimed Herald, and HLE got their first Dragon. After removing Canna from the equation, Hanwha Life secured Atakhan. KC did a similar trick around a Dragon: a good kill on Zeus to scare opponents away. They even survived a soon-coming fight, thanks to dubious aggression by Zeus.

After a quick kill on Delight, KC went for Baron and killed the rest of HLE. Karmine took a Dragon as well, so the EU team got a nice advantage. In the following fight, HLE killed four opponents, even if they lost three players.

Hanwha Life Esports secured a Dragon but instead of resetting, they continued fighting. Karmine Corp had good angles to land kills and Ace their opponents. No one could stop them from destroying HLE’s Nexus and winning game 1 in the LoL First Stand 2025 grand final.

Hanwha Life took all six Voidgrubs uncontested, and they generally dominated the river to secure two first Dragons. HLE successfully pressured the lanes and the opponents’ jungle. Everything in the early game spoke of the HLE’s desire to dominate and win this one.

Even if the teams exchanged random kills, Hanwha Life still could took everything they needed. They stole Herald and secured the third Dragon. HLE destroyed five turrets to nothing and earned the Atakhan buff. The Korean players killed three opponents to get a Dragon Soul.

With the Baron on HLE’s side, it did not feel like Karmine Corp have any chance in this game. Hanwha Life Esports started a siege, and after openly harassing the opponents on their base, HLE won game 2 of the FST 2025 final.

HLE secured the first Dragon and killed two opponents with two first Voidgrubs. The kill exchanged across the lanes also was in favor of Hanwha Life in the early game. The Korean team had two Dragons and five Voidgrubs, and their advantage was tangible already.

All the following wins by HLE looked like proper steps in the right direction. They won fights across the map and secured all the objectives. KC’s turrets were falling one after another.

Game 3 between KC and HLE turned into a public execution. Hanwha Life Esports won it, and they needed one step only to claim the League of Legends First Stand 2025 title.

It started awfully for Karmine Corp: two deaths at minute 2. HLE severely punish mistakes! KC managed to secure four Voidgrubs and a Dragon, but they kept losing Champions across the map.

HLE players worked notoriously to their advantage, and the hope of EU fans started steadily evaporating. KC released Herald, and the creature did not even hit anything. HLE gave away a Dragon but took down all the turrets on the Top lane.

Hanwha Life Esports secured Atakhan, delivered a few kills and destroyed an Inhibitor. KC struck back after an overstep from HLE. 

After taking the Baron buff, Hanwha Life destroyed almost everything on KC’s base but died all in that attempt. HLE returned after that with a much more cautious approach. They killed another Baron and the entire Karmine Corp team — to take down the Nexus and claim this impressive win.

Even with the end of the First Stand 2025, the competitive excitement is not over in League of Legends. All the teams will be back to the regional championships. Karmine Corp and Hanwha Life Esports join them regardless of the Final result. 

KC play in the LoL EMEA Championship (LEC). The next regional event for them is LEC Spring 2025, which happens in April and May. The main question here is the strike-back potential of the former leaders, G2 and Fnatic. With the experience Karmine Corp earned at their first international event, the team should give a nice fight, once again.

Hanwha Life Esports has even more dreadful opponents in the League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK). The World Champions 2024, T1, and the MSI Champions 2024, Gen.G Esports, certainly look forward to avenging their losses at the LCK Cup 2025. The regional Rounds 1-2 and the following LCK Road to MSI 2025 should be super intense for HLE.

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