Heading into the 2024 League of Legends World Championship, Hanwha Life Esports has carried both the weight of victory and skepticism. Despite defeating Gen.G in the LCK Summer Finals, many fans still regard Gen.G as favorites to take home the Worlds trophy and doubt HLE ability to make an impact.
For Kim “Zeka” Geon-woo, HLE’s mid laner, this doubt is something he understands—but feels ready to prove wrong.
As the first seed from the LCK, HLE came into Worlds 2024 starting directly in the main stage. On the first day of competition, they secured a strong win against PSG Talon, followed by an intense victory over G2 Esports on the second day. These two wins have brought HLE just one step away from qualifying for the knockout stage, but doubts about their run towards the trophy still linger in the League community.
In an interview with Dot Esports, Zeka opened up about the difference between domestic success and the global stage, stating he understands why certain fans are still not totally on board with HLE yet. “I think from their perspective we still have a long way to go,” the mid laner told Dot. “I guess all we have to do is keep participating in the event and keep proving ourselves.”
His words highlight a common struggle for LCK teams as they transition from regional dominance to the unforgiving environment of Worlds, where reputations are made or broken.
But for Zeka, the pressure isn’t new. He was a part of DRX’s legendary run in 2022, where the team started in the Play-In stage and went on to win Worlds in one of the most unexpected, fairy-tale like stories in LoL Esports history. That miraculous run set the bar high for the mid laner, who knows well that sustaining success is much harder than achieving it once—but that’s his heavy crown to bear.
Reflecting on the 2024 anthem and how he too sees himself into its theme, Zeka said that reaching for the Summoner’s Cup in the first place is “difficult,” but keeping it is even more challenging. “Being good for one time doesn’t really mean anything,” he continued. “You have to be consistently good, and I think that’s the Crown for me.”
After securing a 2-0 record in their group, Zeka and HLE are one win away from qualifying for the Knockout stage and getting closer to claiming the trophy. Ahead of the match draw for the third day of the competition, Zeka predicted that whoever HLE would be facing for a spot at the next stage of the competition would be “the real deal”—and he wasn’t wrong.
That real deal turned out to be none other than LCK’s second seed, Gen.G. “We have to win the match tomorrow, so I think regardless of who we actually get, it’s going to be an amazing banger,” concluded Zeka.
This clash against Gen.G will be crucial, not just for a spot in the Knockout Stage, but for reaffirming HLE’s position as a top contender in the tournament. On the other side of the Rift, Gen.G, despite their loss in the LCK Finals, remains one of the most respected teams in the world, with a roster packed talented players like Chovy and Canyon.
Fans just need to tune in at 10am CT to watch the banger rematch of the LCK Summer final which will decide the first team reaching the quarterfinals for Worlds 2024.
