Gen.G delivered a flawless 3-0 sweep over Hanwha Life Esports in the LCK Cup 2026 Group Battle Super Week, knocking HLE out of the tournament and maintaining their spotless record in the process.
The result was decisive. Gen.G hasn’t dropped a single game in the event, extending their dominant run through the group stage. HLE, meanwhile, finished dead last among all 10 teams and became the first squad eliminated from this year’s Cup.
The contrast is stark. HLE won the LCK Cup just 12 months ago. Now they’re out before the bracket stage even begins, despite fielding a roster packed with world-class talent across every position.
Kiin led the charge for Gen.G, earning Player of the Match honors and reportedly scoring his first career pentakill in the series. The top laner carved through HLE’s lineup in what became a showcase of Gen.G’s methodical teamfighting.
HLE’s mistakes piled up throughout the match. One Baron sequence stood out as particularly catastrophic—a steal so telegraphed that observers called it the most predictable of all time. Coordination breakdowns plagued HLE’s fights, with mistimed engages and missed objective secures costing them critical moments.
The sweep locked in qualification scenarios for other teams. OKSavingsBank BRION benefited from the result, advancing despite a weak record. DK dropped into the play-in stage as the dominoes fell.
Gen.G moves forward to the next phase with zero blemishes on their record. HLE turns their attention to the regular LCK season, where they’ll need to regroup fast. The gap between roster expectations and tournament results couldn’t be wider.
