It may appear as a mere footnote in
the illustrious career of Han "Peanut" Wang-ho, but this milestone nonetheless underscores—if any reminder were needed—the remarkable longevity of the South Korean jungler. On Thursday,
the Hanwha Life Esports player secured both his 499th and 500th LCK victories in a clean 2-0 sweep against DRX. He now joins Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok (with 670 wins to date) as the only players to have reached this benchmark, and becomes the first jungler ever to do so. Close behind are other seasoned veterans, including Kim "Deft" Hyuk-kyu (484 wins), Jeong "Chovy" Ji-hoon (451 wins), and Gwak "Bdd" Bo-sung, rounding out the top five.
This 500th win further consolidates both Peanut’s and his team’s standing as frontrunners in the Korean league. Victorious at the LCK Cup in February, Hanwha Life Esports have continued their momentum into the regular season, now sitting at 4-1, just behind Gen.G (5-0)—one of several former teams of Peanut’s, along with SK Telecom T1 and ROX Tigers, the squad where he first rose to prominence. Notably,
HLE also claimed the First Stand title in March, the inaugural international event of the season. That triumph earned Peanut his second global title, coming eight years after his MSI victory in 2017.
Still, Peanut remains, somewhat ironically, one of the most accomplished players in the world never to have won a World Championship, despite six appearances on the global stage. In nearly every instance, he has been part of lineups seen as legitimate contenders for the crown. This season bears all the familiar hallmarks of those past campaigns, yet with eight domestic titles to his name, it is perhaps time for Peanut to break the cycle. While 500 wins in the LCK is a testament to his consistency, it is unlikely to dull the sting should history once again repeat itself.
