LoL: Kanavi joins Hanwha Life Esports

Seo "Kanavi" Jin-hyeok, one of the world’s most feared junglers, is returning to the LCK after six seasons in the LPL. He joins Hanwha Life Esports as their starting jungler ahead of the 2026 season in LCK, as announced by the team on Wednesday. The organization also held discussions with Kim "Canyon" Geon-bu, who eventually re-signed with Gen.G.

This move follows the departure of Han “Peanut” Wang-ho, who recently retired to begin his mandatory military service in South Korea, leaving a crucial vacancy in the jungle role. Kanavi, known as one of the most accomplished junglers in the LPL and an international star, will fill that gap. Earlier this Wednesday, HLE also announced the contract extensions of toplaner Choi “Zeus” Woo-je and midlaner Kim “Zeka” Geon-woo. According to sources from Sheep Esports, Lee “Gumayusi” Min-hyeong is expected to join the team.

Kanavi’s professional journey is one of longest among Korean exports to China. After debuting with Griffin in 2019, where he never played a game in the LCK, he was loaned to JD Gaming in the LPL. That short stint became the turning point of his career. JDG later secured him permanently, and Kanavi would spend the next five years carrying their banner and establishing himself as one of the best junglers in the world.

During his time in China, he formed a defining partnership with midlaner Zeng "Yagao" Qi. For five consecutive years, the two created one of the most iconic mid-jungle duos in the region. Together, they helped JD Gaming rise from a solid LPL contender to a championship-winning powerhouse. The team’s 2023 season stands as a near-legendary campaign: alongside Park "Ruler" Jae-hyuk, Bai "369" Jia-Hao, and Lou "MISSING" Yun-Feng, Kanavi almost led JDG to the elusive golden road, winning two domestic titles, the MSI and reaching the Worlds semifinals, ultimately falling to T1.

In 2025, Kanavi joined Top Esports. The team won the first split of the year, securing a spot at the First Stand international event. TES finished with a single victory over Team Liquid, and got upset by Karmine Corp and CFO, before being eliminated by Hanwha Life Esports. Later that year, the team finished second in Split 3 after a close final against Bilibili Gaming. At Worlds 2025, Top Esports reached the semifinals, matching the organization’s best result in the tournament’s history from 2020 before being eliminated by T1.

Throughout his years in China, Kanavi remained one of the key figures in every roster he represented. His return to the LCK with HLE in 2026 closes a six-year chapter in the LPL.

HLE represents an ideal destination for a fresh start in the competitive League of Legends scene. Over the past two years, HLE has firmly established itself as one of Gen.G’s toughest domestic rivals, alongside KT Rolster. The team captured the 2024 LCK Summer title by defeating Gen.G’s previous roster and maintained strong momentum into 2025, besting Gen.G again at the LCK Cup and securing victory at the season’s first international event, the First Stand.

This trajectory of bold roster moves continued with HLE’s anticipated acquisition of Gumayusi, complementing the arrival of Zeus from T1 last year. That blockbuster trade notably included Choi "Doran" Hyeon-joon moving in the opposite direction. While HLE’s 2025 season concluded with a quarterfinal exit at Worlds against Canyon’s Gen.G (1–3), the organization’s ambition to contend at the highest level remains unwavering.