The showdown between Dplus KIA and Hanwha Life Esports lived up to the hype, as the two best teams in the LCK clashed in a thrilling BO5 under the Fearless Draft format. The series delivered an exciting spectacle with unconventional picks and intense gameplay. In the end, HLE edged out DK after five hard-fought games, securing their spot in the Grand Final and sending Dplus KIA to the Lower Bracket.

A high League of Legends level

This morning, we likely witnessed the two best teams in the LCK go head-to-head. Both squads had their moments of dominance, capitalizing on their strengths throughout the series. HLE, in particular, shined in Game 1 with a flawlessly executed draft, perfectly playing around Park "Viper" Do-hyeon’s Xayah. The star ADC remained deathless, contributing to 13 of his team’s 17 kills as the reigning LCK champions set the tone for the series.
But DK had plenty to say in this series, securing back-to-back wins largely thanks to Choi "Lucid" Yong-hyeok’s stellar performance on carry picks like Viego and Lillia. The young jungler proved to both HLE and the LoL Park crowd that Dplus KIA’s undefeated streak was no fluke. They had thus secured their first match point in this BO5, which still had plenty of action left to unfold. True to himself, Kim "Zeka" Geon-woo stepped up in Game 4 with a stellar Sylas performance. While the rest of the players were caught in the fight, the midlaner pulled off a brilliant backdoor, keeping HLE alive by forcing a Game 5 in this thrilling series.

Heo "ShowMaker" Su on Kled, Kim "Aiming" Ha-ram on Mel, and Choi "Zeus" Woo-je on Olaf—this is the kind of draft you can only see in a Game 5 Fearless Draft. Even after 30 minutes of intense gameplay, the match remained incredibly close, with tension at its peak. As HLE had just secured Nashor and their third drake, Zeus grabbed his axes and charged straight into DK’s backline, leaving Aiming for dead and relentlessly chasing down Jeon "Siwoo" Si-woo’s Gragas until the very end. His dominant performance earned him the MVP title of the BO5.

HLE has secured its spot in the LCK Cup Grand Final, now just one BO5 away from the First Stand. Meanwhile, DK will face the winner of the Gen.G vs. Nongshim RedForce matchup, set to take place on February 20 at 9 AM CET.

Header photo credit: LCK/Riot Games