Hanwha Life Esports announced on Wednesday that they have extended the contract of their midlaner Kim “Zeka” Geon-woo for the 2026 season. He becomes the first player from the roster to be locked in, as all five members who competed for HLE in 2025 saw their contracts expire after Worlds 2025. This marks Zeka’s fourth consecutive year with the organization.

The second carry set to join HLE is Lee “Gumayusi” Min-hyeong. As previously reported by Sheep Esports, the triple world champion is expected to join the First Stand Champions. It gives the team a strong foundation to build on, as other members of the roster could also be retained, and new arrivals are expected to replace Han "Peanut" Wang-ho, who will not compete next year.

Stay in LCK Title Contention

With all five players’ contracts expiring and Peanut heading off for mandatory military service, there were serious doubts about whether HLE could field a competitive roster capable of challenging at the top of the league. It is now clear that the 2024 LCK Summer Split champions will once again be contenders.

Nothing is official beyond Zeka’s contract extension, but rumors suggest Choi “Zeus” Woo-Je in the toplane and Yoo “Delight” Hwan-joong at support will stay on. The jungle role remains uncertain—Gen.G has already confirmed retaining Kim “Canyon” Geon-bu, while Seo “Kanavi” Jin-hyeok is a strong possibility for the club.

For more roster changes, check out our Transfers Hub and Offseason Live Tracker.