The first quarterfinal of Worlds 2025 has concluded, with Gen.G claiming a well-deserved 3-1 victory over Hanwha Life Esports. The 18,000 spectators at Shanghai’s Mercedes-Benz Arena witnessed a true show of strength from the LCK champions against their runners-up. Outperformed all year long in the LCK, Hanwha Life once again exits the tournament in the quarterfinals for the second year in a row. This series sends Jeong "Chovy" Ji-hoon and his team into a well-earned semifinal, and also marks the end of Han "Peanut" Wang-ho’s career as he heads off to complete his military service, as previously announced by the player. In light of this intense matchup, Sheep Esports has decided to offer ratings for each player from both teams.

Gen.G: 9

They are simply the best team in the world right now. Gen.G once again defeated HLE, this time with the same 3-1 scoreline as in the LCK grand final. As a team, they arrived prepared and executed their strategies with surgical precision. In Game 1, the Aatrox top pick as a counter to Rek’Sai proved decisive. In Game 2, the team combos were perfectly executed, with Jarvan IV and Orianna providing excellent follow-up to Nautilus. Only Game 3 was a bit less aggressive, with tankier picks and insufficient damage. Overall, the teamwork displayed by Gen.G and their mental fortitude—especially in securing the second game after more than 58 minutes of play—was truly impressive.

Kiin: 9

Kim "Kiin" Gi-in was likely the best player on his team today. He is by far the best toplaner in the world at the moment and proved it against one of his main rivals, Choi "Zeus" Woo-je, whom he completely outperformed. In Game 1, he executed flawlessly on Aatrox to counter his opponent’s Rek’Sai. His Game 2 performance on Gwen was one of the standout moments of the series, featuring a solo kill on Zeus and the creation of several impressive plays. Kiin was the driving force behind Gen.G today, as he has often been throughout the year.

Canyon: 8

Kim "Canyon" Geon-bu is clearly not at his peak level of 2025, but, as usual, he gets the job done. In Game 2 on Jarvan IV, he was imperial, finishing 6/3/16 with outstanding synergy alongside his support an midlaner. In the final game, Canyon locked in Nidalee—his 54th game on the champion—boasting an 83% win rate on the Bestial Huntress. He delivered once again, closing out the series with a strong performance and securing his fourth semifinal appearance in his career.

Chovy: 8

Jeong "Chovy" Ji-hoon’s series against Hanwha Life Esports was a calm yet commanding display of consistency and control. In Game 1, he played Ryze with discipline, successfully absorbing the early pressure from HLE and setting up his team for mid-game stability. Game 2 was the longest of the series, stretching past 58 minutes, and it was Chovy’s heroic defense on Orianna—holding the line at the very doors of his own Nexus—that allowed Gen.G to turn the game around and secure the win. For the final game, he switched to Hwei and once again showcased his trademark precision and game sense, ending with nearly 90% kill participation.

Ruler: 9

The Gen.G botlane once again proved to be one of the team’s most impactful assets, just as it has been all year long. In Game 1, Park "Ruler" Jae-hyuk’s Ezreal performance was pure class — securing a triple kill around the drake and applying constant poke pressure to open the series. He followed that up with a dominant 9/2/13 Varus game, topping the damage charts, before closing out the series on Yunara to secure Gen.G’s spot in the semifinals. Ruler may have rejoined Gen.G earlier this year, but watching him play, it feels like he never left.

Duro: 9

Kiin’s Gwen performance was one of the standout displays of the entire tournament, but Joo "Duro" Min-kyu’s showing in Game 1 on Neeko was just as impressive — clutch engages throughout the match and flawless execution from start to finish. His final game on Alistar was equally clean, finishing 1/0/14 and proving completely unkillable. Barely known on the international stage a year ago, Duro has now established himself as one of the best supports in the world, seamlessly fitting into the well-oiled machine that is Gen.G.

Hanwha Life Esports: 7

One of the tournament’s best teams has just been eliminated. Unlucky to run into the tournament’s titan today, HLE played well overall. Even though they were up against Gen.G—a team they know inside out—there was no anti-Gen.G gameplan put into action. With several individuals not showing up, this “final before the final” lived up to some of its hype but still left a sense of unfinished business, as HLE couldn’t elevate their play to the highest level. They've clearly hit a ceiling and are missing the clutch factor that every League of Legends Worlds champion has year after year. Although they delivered a strong series as a team, there were too many uncertainties, mistakes, and perhaps stress to truly say that the team gave their absolute maximum today.

Zeus: 5

Choi "Zeus" Woo-je was less sharp than usual. He ended his year with a series that didn’t reflect his international class. Very “flippy” in this best-of, he made a lot of mistakes and got punished for them. To be fair, he also managed to be a real nuisance for Gen.G, especially with his frequent dives into the backline on Ambessa. And even though his Camille pick really fired up the crowd, a signature pick for him, he fell short of expectations. But the truth is that Zeus couldn’t fulfill his role as a clutch player, nor take on the responsibility that comes with being called “the best toplaner in the world.” Today, he came up against someone stronger—both in lane and in teamfight impact.

Peanut: 5

Han "Peanut" Wang-ho leaves League of Legends with his head held high. Although the assessment is harsh, he had to pay the price for his first two games in the series no matter what. Missing crucial ultimates on Sejuani, and the circular guard from Xin Zhao in Game 2 that changed the course of the match around Baron Nashor—prolonging the game by 20 minutes and leading to defeat, even though Zeka had made the play that could have tied the series 1-1. This was followed by a very solid Trundle game, and then a poorly drafted Nocturne pick, who was invisible and powerless, unable to play. He exits at quarterfinals again, and couldn’t seize his chance in the most important series of the year.

Zeka: 7

Kim "Zeka" Geon-woo really did end up being sacrificed by Chovy. Facing the best player in the world, he held his own. He had a good showing on Taliyah, Azir, and Yone before becoming invisible on Aurora in Game 4, unable to do anything after the laning phase. In reality, there was a clear class difference between him and Chovy in this series. It went beyond mechanics or macro play—Zeka struggled with the pure sense of the game. He leaves this series with just one memorable moment: that Shurima Shuffle in Game 2, which was canceled by Peanut’s Xin Zhao. For someone meant to hard-carry his team with picks expected to take over, Zeka should have shined brighter and left a stronger mark.

Viper: 9

This might be the first time at Worlds that an MVP title could go to a player who just lost a series. Against Gen.G, the best team in the world, Park "Viper" Do-hyeon delivered three performances worthy of some of the greatest ADC showings in Worlds history. Unlucky to be eliminated in this best-of, he was phenomenal on Corki and Sivir, and produced a remarkable Ziggs game in Game 2 under incredible circumstances. At 58 minutes with zero deaths, he dealt 40% of his team’s total damage despite facing a full hard-engage comp from Gen.G. He was in a state of absolute grace today. If HLE had managed to come back in this series with a stronger collective performance, Viper would have been the main architect of that comeback. Across all ten players, he was arguably the one with the most impact on the series.

Delight: 6

There was a big skill gap in the support role. Yoo "Delight" Hwan-joong was among the players who didn’t manage to elevate the team’s level. Although he plays support — one of the hardest roles to stand out in when your team is playing from behind — he struggled to make an impact. Put on a largely ineffective Pantheon in Game 1 who got blown up in every teamfight, then made several mistakes on Poppy in Game 2 despite some clutch ultimates… he redeemed himself a bit on Rakan. But overall, the player was struggling in nearly all of his early games. All these signs may suggest that the pressure and high stakes got to him, since Delight has also shown much stronger, top-level performances in the past.