After HLE secured first place in the regular season of LCK's second split, many LPL viewers looked forward to HLE meeting TES at MSI, particularly because TES mid-laner Xiaonianyou had often complained about HLE coach Redmi's poor draft picks. HLE did not disappoint, beating T1 3-1 in a crucial LCK playoff match, becoming the first LCK team to qualify for MSI. (The LCK playoff rules differ from those of the LPL; the first and second place teams in the regular season play a BO5 in the playoffs, with the winner advancing to MSI and the loser dropping to the losers' bracket.)

In this BO5, HLE demonstrated dominant laning, with mid-laner Zeka and top-laner Zeus completely outplaying T1's Faker and Doran. Kanavi, hailed as the "godfather" of LCK junglers, used his teammates' lane advantages to repeatedly invade the enemy jungle, earning a remarkable 9.3 rating and the MVP title. Many viewers consider Kanavi the core of HLE, believing that when he is comfortable, HLE becomes the best team in the world.

Some viewers have even begun to defend Kanavi, claiming that his underwhelming performance at TES was due to the poor play of TES top-laner 369 and support Hang. After all, Kanavi and Redmi once stated in an HLE documentary that with top-laner Zeus and support Delight, they could defeat T1. Now that HLE has beaten T1 in both the regular season and playoffs, many are eager to see Kanavi's performance at MSI.

After the match, Kanavi addressed LPL teams in an interview, stating that TES and BLG are the most formidable opponents at MSI. He specifically called out TES mid-laner Xiaonianyou, noting that Xiaonianyou is often caught easily in both ranked games and official matches, and advised him to be more careful in future games as he would focus on ganking him. Kanavi also assured HLE fans that he would make team history and help HLE win the MSI championship.

Will GEN and T1 fight for the final spot?

Seven teams have already secured their spots at MSI: TES from the LPL, HLE from the LCK, GEN and KC from the LEC, LION from the LCS, FURIA from Brazil, and TSW and DCG from the LCP. T1, widely considered the strongest LCK team, lost to HLE, so their only chance to qualify for MSI is to defeat the winner of the GEN vs. KT match in the losers' bracket. (Most viewers expect GEN to reach the losers' bracket final.)

T1 is currently facing many issues, with their players' form causing concern among fans. Faker apologized to fans in a post-match interview, admitting that his own performance was problematic and contributed to the loss against HLE. T1 coach Tom also apologized, stating that the team made many mistakes during the draft phase, allowing HLE to pick their signature champions. He promised that T1 would work on improving their draft strategy and aim to secure the second seed.

Conclusion

Both TES and HLE have qualified for MSI. Personally, I look forward to the matchup between TES and HLE. Do you think TES can win against HLE? Previously, HLE coach Redmi complained in an interview that T1's playstyle countered HLE, but now HLE easily defeated T1 3-1. What do you think is the reason for HLE's improvement?