In this article, we will talk about Hanwha Life Esports in the play-ins and how far they go in the tournament.
With the draw show done and dusted, we now know the groups for the play-ins. Building up to worlds, we will talk about the teams in the play-ins starting with HLE. HLE is a team that did not make the playoffs in the Summer Split but made it to Worlds through the Regional Gauntlet. With that said, let’s talk about the team, their relative strength and expectations going into the tournament.
Hanwha Life Esports’ Journey To Worlds 2021
HLE was the 4th team to go to Worlds 2021 from the LCK. They did not make the playoffs in the Summer Split due to their shambolic performances. However, they turned it around with some time and made a run in the gauntlet. In addition to that, they almost beat T1 in Regional Finals. To most LCK watchers, that came as a surprise considering how weak HLE looked during the split.
The jungle change has worked for them so far, but now they are headed into the main event of the year. They were in the Regional Gauntlet on the back of Championship Points they accrued in the Spring Split. In the gauntlet, they convincingly beat LSB and NS and then had the slug fest against T1. Thus, they deserve to be in Worlds given the form they showed later in the split.
Evaluating Hanwha Life Esports
Pros
- Strong Fundamental Team
- Strong Bot Lane
- Chovy
Cons
- Relies too much on individual brilliance
- Morgan
- Inconsistency
Talking about the pros, HLE is a solid team who does not make big mistakes in games. They all have good laning phases barring Morgan at times, so they do not tend to lose games early on. This is a benefit of having Chovy and Deft, who are very good laners.
Their bot lane has really come alive in the gauntlet where they looked formidable especially Vsta. Vsta has massively stepped up as a player and Deft/Vsta is now a solid bot lane that will be a tough match up for anyone. Lastly, they have Chovy, who is the best laner in the World with how he handles wave states, roams, etc.
On the flip side, their cons are very relatable to their pros. Since they are so dependent on Chovy or Deft popping off, they tend to fall flat if neither of them performs. Their regular season was an example of this as Deft was not particularly good during the Summer Split.
Morgan has been the weakest link for this team ever since Willer has stepped in. However, he played well in the regionals and if he can keep that form up, good things will happen for HLE. Their inconsistency is also another point of emphasis as they tend to drop the ball in some games but also rise to the occasion in others.
Thus, HLE is a relatively good team with a decent early game where they farm up to get into the teamfights to rely on Chovy or Deft to carry them games. However, if neither of them step up, it becomes a problem, and they tend to lose those games. The main aspect to look out for with HLE is whether Willer and Morgan keep improving and make the foundation for Chovy or Deft to shine in games.
Projecting Hanwha Life Esports’ Performance At Worlds 2021
Expectations:
Groups Stage
Expectation for Hanwha Life Esports is simple, getting out of groups stages. Fortunately, the group they landed in the play-ins should see them through. However, the fight against LNG will decide that as the top team in each group for the play-ins is a guaranteed lock for groups stage.
Worst Outcome:
Knocked Out in Play-ins
The Worst outcome would be to be knocked out of play-ins. If they end up as the 2nd team in Group A for play-ins, they could face someone like Cloud9 for a spot in the groups stage. They should still win out, but there is a possibility of them not making groups stage.
Best Outcome:
Quarterfinals
The best outcome is undoubtedly making Quarterfinals. Given the group they will be slotted in if they make it out of play-ins, there is a real possibility they can make the quarterfinals. If they qualify, they go into Group C of the group stages featuring RNG, FNC, and PSG. HLE has the potential to beat any of those teams and claim a spot for themselves at the knockouts stage.
Thus, these are our expectations along with the best and worst outcome for the team.
In Conclusion
HLE is going to be a strong team in the play-ins stage. Depending on how they look there, there is potential for them to make the knockouts stage. Given they get out of play-ins, Group C is the best group they could have been slotted into as it is a group where HLE can make their presence felt. Nevertheless, their first priority should be to top Group 1 in the play-ins and ensure they make groups stage and give it a shot to go further into the competition.
For more info about Worlds 2021, check out the LoLEsports website for the schedule and the day Worlds 2021 kicks off.
