With only three BO5s remaining in the LCK third split playoffs, HLE suffered a 3-1 defeat to GEN in the winners' bracket final, falling to the losers' bracket. GEN made it to the finals, guaranteeing at least the second seed at Worlds. Time and again, GEN proves to be the LCK's top team. Chovy is astonishing—he has made it to the LCK finals for the tenth consecutive time. The "League Super" remains the ultimate authority.

After falling to the losers' bracket, HLE's next opponent will be the winner of DK vs T1. Since all four teams have already qualified for Worlds, they are now competing for seeding and the championship. The winner of DK vs T1 will continue to aim for the first, second, or third seed and the title, while the loser will settle for the fourth seed. ShowMaker has been in good form recently, but Faker seems a bit sluggish. It feels like DK has a strong chance of finishing in the top three of the playoffs.

Ruler predicts the finals opponent

After GEN advanced to the finals, bot laner Ruler was asked in an interview to predict their finals opponent. He replied: "I don't have a specific preference, but I think T1 or DK will make it to the finals." He explained that DK has recently overcome a major crisis and improved their strength, while T1 should have learned many lessons from their loss to HLE and will come back stronger after addressing their weaknesses.

He mentioned T1 and DK but not HLE, which suggests Ruler really holds a grudge against Kanavi. HLE's path to the finals is much easier than T1 or DK's—T1 or DK would need to win two consecutive BO5s, while HLE only needs to win one. Personally, I think HLE has a much higher chance of reaching the finals than DK or T1, because after losing, they will resolve their team's issues.

European G2 and KC qualify for Worlds

The battle for Worlds spots across all major LOL regions is entering its final stage. In the European LEC, the winners' bracket matches recently took place. G2 swept VIT 3-0, while KC defeated GX 3-1. Both teams advanced to the winners' bracket final, and since they are guaranteed at least a top-three finish, they have secured their region's Worlds spots, with at least the third seed.

Both KC and G2 have helped TES create new history. G2 not only beat TES 3-0 but also came back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat them. The "Old Hat" (Caps) Hall of Fame story even includes the 3-0 victory over TES. As for KC, last year's First Stand tournament saw TES swept 2-0, and they even had to calculate scores to advance from 5 teams to 4. Now that both of these teams have qualified, it would be a shame if TES doesn't make it—it would lack many highlights. Good luck to TES in the regional qualifiers!

Veteran player Evi announces retirement after ten years

The LCP playoffs ended last week, with TSW winning the championship and securing the first seed, CFO the second seed, and TSW the third seed. After the Worlds teams were determined, the other teams went on break to prepare for Season 17. Recently, SHG top laner Evi released a video announcing his retirement, ending his 11-year professional career. While Evi is not well-known globally, he is a legendary top laner in the Japanese region.

In his 11-year career, Evi led his team to Worlds six times. Although he never won a major championship, he is the only player from the Japanese region to bring a team from the Play-In stage to the Main Event. His status in the league is comparable to that of Doublelift in North America. On the day of his retirement, the official LOL esports account posted: "A true legend, thank you Evi." Also worth noting, Evi, like Faker, enjoys giving thumbs-ups.

Conclusion:

Although TES stopped at the quarterfinals in the playoffs, they still have a high seeding in the regional qualifiers. To miss Worlds, they would need to lose two consecutive BO5s. In the next ten-plus days, if TES reviews and adjusts their form, they will likely make it to Worlds. G2 and KC, just wait—TES will come for revenge.

So, do you think HLE can make it to the finals?

Feel free to leave a comment and discuss!