LCK Finals media day: Hanwha Life and T1 both call a 3-1 — and Gen.G are watching the bot lanes

The last talking is done before the KSPO Dome. Gen.G, Hanwha Life Esports and T1 gathered at the CHZZK LoL Park on Tuesday for the 2026 Woori Bank LCK Finals media day — and the two teams meeting ahead of Saturday's finals qualifier left no room for doubt, each predicting a 3-1 win for themselves.

Each team sent its head coach flanked by two players: Ryu with Kiin and Ruler for Gen.G, Homme with Kanavi and Gumayusi for Hanwha Life Esports, and Tom with Peyz and Keria for T1.

Gen.G scout from the finish line

Already through to Sunday's Grand Final, Ryu played the analyst. Asked who joins them, he pointed at form on the day — with a lean:

If T1 succeed with aggressive play built around their bot duo, I see a high chance of them coming through.

He named T1's ability to create chaos and Hanwha Life Esports' bold aggression as each side's most awkward trait, and when asked who complicates a Fearless Draft series the most, picked both teams' bot duos.

The rematch of the reverse sweep

Saturday is also a rerun: HLE reverse swept T1 3-2 in Round 2 of these playoffs. Neither side pretended otherwise. "We were ahead in game one and let it flip, and we fell hard early in game two — we need to work on closing out leads," admitted Seo "Kanavi" Jin-hyeok. Tom saw it the same way from the other bench:

Our draft preparation from games three to five was lacking. If we fix that, we can win the qualifier.

Asked about their own strengths, Homme pointed to his team's laning phase, while Tom highlighted his bot duo's level and a topside that has sharpened lately. Asked what makes the other side awkward, Homme named T1's aggression; Tom, HLE' early topside control.

The finals qualifier is set for Saturday, September 12 at the KSPO Dome in Seoul's Olympic Park. The winner faces Gen.G for the 2026 LCK title the next day.