On the 8th, the '2026 LoL Champions Korea (LCK)' Finals Media Day was held at the Chzzk LoL Park in Jonggak. In attendance were Gen.G Esports' head coach Ryu Sang-wook, Kim 'Kiin' Gi-in, and Park 'Ruler' Jae-hyuk, who secured their spot in the finals early; Hanwha Life Esports' head coach Yoon Sung-young, Seo 'Kanavi' Jin-hyeok, and Lee 'Gumayusi' Min-hyeong, who are competing in the Lower Bracket Final; and T1's interim head coach Lim Jae-hyun, Kim 'Peyz' Su-hwan, and Ryu 'Keria' Min-seok.
Gen.G Esports, who finished the regular season in first place, was the first team to book a spot in the finals by defeating kt Rolster 3-0 in Round 2 of the playoffs and Hanwha Life Esports 3-1 in Round 3. Though they had shaky moments, their struggling bot lane regained form in the second half of the season, allowing them to steadily stack up victories.
Hanwha Life Esports also went through ups and downs. Following their MSI victory, the overall team's form dropped slightly, slumping into a three-game losing streak. However, they successfully reorganized and raised their performance back up, and despite losing to Gen.G Esports in Round 3 of the playoffs, they are still evaluated as another strong championship contender.
Although T1 finished 3rd in the regular season, their journey was far from smooth. Their record in Rounds 3 and 4 competing within the Legend Group was just 3 wins and 5 losses, and they struggled through the playoffs as well, including a full-set clash against 6th seed BNK FearX. To overcome Hanwha Life Esports and ultimately Gen.G Esports waiting in the finals, recovering their performance is essential.
Head coaches and representative players from each team attended the Finals Media Day ahead of the Lower Bracket Final and Grand Final. First, Hanwha Life Esports and T1, who must fight through the Lower Bracket Final, expressed their strong determination to defeat their opponent, advance to the finals, and lift the championship trophy.
Hanwha Life Esports' Seo 'Kanavi' Jin-hyeok shared his resolve, saying, "This is my first LCK season, so I will do my best to make it to the finals." Lee 'Gumayusi' Min-hyeong said, "It's been a while since I won the LCK. Just as we won MSI this year, I will work hard so we can win the LCK as well."
T1 interim head coach Lim Jae-hyun vowed revenge, saying, "We fell to the loser's bracket after losing to Hanwha Life Esports. We will definitely get our revenge and make it to the finals." Ryu 'Keria' Min-seok shared, "I want to stand on the league finals stage again after a while, and since it's been long since I won a title, I really want to win this time." Kim 'Peyz' Su-hwan stated, "I want to reach the finals once more with my new teammates."
Gen.G Esports, waiting in the finals, is determined to win regardless of who advances. Head coach Ryu Sang-wook and Kim 'Kiin' Gi-in said, "No matter which team comes up, we will prepare well, win, and take the championship," while Park 'Ruler' Jae-hyuk also expressed his determination, saying, "I will prepare hard and win without fail."
Meanwhile, the Lower Bracket Final and Grand Final will take place over two days on the 12th and 13th at the KSPO Dome in Olympic Park, Songpa-gu, Seoul. The winner between Hanwha Life Esports and T1 in the Lower Bracket Final will clash with Gen.G Esports for the championship title.
