The final week of this long LCK regular season split, running from early April to late August, kicked off on Wednesday, August 27, with a high-stakes clash between T1 and Hanwha Life Esports—the only contenders for second place in the Legend group. T1 ultimately came out on top, claiming the second spot, though it may not last long.

Both teams still have one match to play: HLE is expected to have an easier outing against Nongshim RedForce on Friday, August 29, while T1 faces a tougher challenge against Gen.G the following day. Ryu "Keria" Min-seok earned MVP honors for this series, celebrating his 5,500th assist in the LCK. At just 22, he becomes the fourth player to reach this milestone, behind only Han "Peanut" Wang-ho, Son "Lehends" Si-woo, and the legend of the game, Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok.

A high-level BO

The first game was a complete stomp by T1, with HLE barely able to make an impact in any phase of the match. Choi "Doran" Hyeon-joon roasted his opponents on Rumble, marking his 600th LCK game—the second toplaner ever to reach this milestone after Kim "Kiin" Gi-in. Mun "Oner" Hyeon-jun on Wukong was absolutely dominant, controlling the tempo and engaging flawlessly, while Keria’s Poppy made a unique impact, setting him apart from other Poppy performances in the league. T1’s coordination and execution left HLE with almost no room to respond.

Game 2 started similarly, with T1 dealing heavy damage across the map and Lee "Gumayusi" Min-hyeong recording nearly 60,000 damage. Yet HLE miraculously turned the tide, with Park "Viper" Do-hyeon on Ezreal carrying the team to equalize the series in this crucial BO for seeding. The final 27-minute game saw Oner on Nocturne, Keria on Bard, and the GOAT on Orianna executing near-perfect coordination on almost every play. HLE struggled to contest effectively, only managing a few isolated kills here and there, as T1 maintained control to close out the series and secure second place.

Unfair playoff matchups

Finishing first and second in the Legend Group provides a clear advantage, allowing teams to skip Round 1 of the playoffs. The issue, however, lies in who these teams will face. The second-place team—either T1 or HLE—will face the winner between KT Rolster and one of the two Play-In teams, a relatively manageable path for a team of their caliber.

Meanwhile, the first-place team, Gen.G, will have to take on the winner of a BO between the third-place team—either T1 or HLE—and the other Play-In team. This setup feels somewhat unbalanced: despite ending the split clearly in first, Gen.G faces a much tougher opponent, while the second-place team gets an easier path. Both BO5 series will directly qualify the winners for Worlds 2025, scheduled in China from October 14 to November 9.