The League of Legends (LoL) community missed T1 at the First Stand tournament, so many people follow the World Champions’ performance closely ahead of the MSI. The start turned out to be tough, and the pressure on Faker and teammates intensifies in the match versus HLE.
Rounds 1–2 at LCK 2026 Season feature many LoL esports matches, including clashes of the best teams in the world. In general, it’s just an initial phase, ahead of the Road to MSI series. However, the story of T1 missing the First Stand is very impactful.
T1 already have one loss on their names. The LoL World Champions 2025 looked like pale versions of themselves in the match against KT Rolster, especially in the first game.
While the competition continues, there will be many chances for T1 to recover, especially in the matches against objectively lower-tier teams. That’s not what the fans really want! The army of T1 admirers are eager to see Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok winning over such opponents as Gen.G and Hanwha Life Esports (HLE). It’s the level to advance to the Mid-Season Invitational 2026 (MSI 2026) and win it.
An early recovery can happen on April 4, as T1 face HLE in the Week 1 matches.
How to watch T1 vs HLE at LCK 2026 Season: Stream
The English streams of the LCK 2026 matches are on the official LCK Global YouTube channel. T1 vs HLE is the first match of the tournament day on April 4.
T1 versus HLE in LCK 2026 Rounds 1–2, Week 1
Hanwha Life Esports want to win this match as much as T1 want to be back to their victory track. HLE also had to miss the First Stand, and they are the winners of the previous such tournament.
The opening match at LCK 2026 was successful for HLE, as they destroyed BRION. Going 2-0 after the match against T1? That would be a great boost of confidence!
T1 absolutely need to recover. Gen.G, Dplus KIA, and other LoL powerhouses await them in the next weeks of LCK 2026 Rounds 1–2. Facing these challenges with a win over HLE would be a pleasant feeling of safety ahead of the MSI qualifiers — including for the fans.
The match has an additional interest, as T1 face Gumayusi, their former bot-laner, and Zeus, their former top-laner.
T1 0:0 HLE
| Game 1 | TBD win |
| Game 2 | TBD win |
| Game 3 | TBD win |
Banned and picked LoL champions
| T1 bans | HLE bans | |
| Game 1 | ||
| Game 2 | ||
| Game 3 |
| T1 picks | T1 | Position | HLE | HLE picks |
| Doran | Top | Zeus | ||
| Oner | Jungle | Kanavi | ||
| Faker | Mid | Zeka | ||
| Peyz | Bot | Gumayusi | ||
| Keria | Support | Delight |
Match recap
Stay tuned for a brief recap of the LCK 2026 Rounds 1–2 match between T1 and HLE from Week 1 of the competition.
What happens with T1? Why did they lose to KT Rolster?
An opening loss is not what T1 fans were looking for, but in general, Faker and company deliver such shocking moves here and there in the regional competition.
Game 1 against KT Rolster was fully disastrous. The opponents enjoyed an early advantage, and T1 kept losing crucial fights. They lost with no real hope.
Game 2 was so much different, as T1 seemingly woke up after losing the early combat. KT crashed into the great personal skills of T1 players, and it was difficult for them to deliver the final blow. KT picked Vayne for the top lane in that match, and it was a very unusual champion to see on the big Korean stage. Despite the best effort of T1, they still lost that 40-minute game.
The late activation of the competitive mood feels like the main issue for the T1 vs KT match. Rounds 1–2 matches continue for a pretty long time, nine weeks in total, but losing in the initial weeks is still pretty disturbing.
At the same time, we can’t underestimate the achievement of KT Rolster. After defeating T1, they won their match over Gen.G!
In Week 2, T1 will face the previously unstoppable champions of LCK, Gen.G Esports. This totally epic match happens on April 8.