Gen.G defeats Hanwha Life Esports to reach Worlds 2025 semifinals

Gen.G and Hanwha Life Esports opened the 2025 League of Legends Worlds quarterfinals with a back-and-forth spectacle, ensuing within the former strolling away as victors.

In what was additionally a rematch of this yr’s LCK finals, Gen.G entered the match because the favourites. The organisation had already defeated Hanwha Life twice in a best-of-five sequence earlier within the season, reinforcing Gen.G’s dominance over its home rivals.

The Worlds 2025 quarterfinals match-up produced a sequence of high-intensity video games lauded by many followers as the most effective sequence on the match to this point. Even when the rating ended up as 3-1 in favour of Gen.G, the video games proved to be a problem for the LCK powerhouse.

The victory sends Gen.G into the semifinals for the third consecutive yr, cementing its popularity as one of many scene’s most constant groups and the favorite to win Worlds 2025. For Hanwha Life Esports, the loss ends one other sturdy run for the Korean crew. Furthermore, the loss additionally sees the top of Han ‘Peanut’ Wang-ho as he retires from League of Legends esports.

The quarterfinal was a conflict of persistence, precision, and strain. Each groups got here ready with daring drafts and sharp reads, however Gen.G’s management over key moments made the distinction when it mattered most

First, Hanwha Life Esports stunned everybody with its assist Yoo ‘Delight’ Hwan-joong selecting Pantheon — the primary time the champion had appeared at Worlds since 2020. Hanwha Life Esports struck first with a intelligent top-side gank that gave Choi ‘Zeus’ Woo-je the primary blood. Two minutes later, Kim ‘Zeka‘ Geon-woo moved prime lane to assist safe a second kill. But even with early strain, Gen.G didn’t let Hanwha Life Esports achieve a major benefit.

Whereas Hanwha Life Esports took the primary dragon, Jeong ‘Chovy‘ Ji-hoon and Kim ‘Canyon‘ Geon-bu constructed small leads for Gen.G. However after a sequence of goal contests, Gen.G started to tug forward.

A superbly timed have interaction by Joo ‘Duro’ Min-kyu’s Neeko caught Hanwha Life Esports off guard, giving Park ‘Ruler‘ Jae-hyuk and Kim ‘Kiin‘ Gi-in room to dominate the struggle. Whereas Hanwha Life Esports fought again. Duro landed one more huge final close to Baron. That decisive struggle gave Gen.G management of the sport and the opening win of the sequence.

The second sport became a marathon and ended because the second-longest League of Legends esports sport of your entire yr. Gen.G struck first when Kiin’s Gwen secured a solo kill in a 1v1 struggle towards Zeus. The 2 groups then exchanged early kills and dragons, with neither facet managing to construct a transparent lead. However because the match went on, momentum swung wildly.

Hanwha Life Esports punished Gen.G’s mid-game errors, with Zeka’s Azir and Park ‘Viper’ Do-hyeon’s Ziggs creating fixed strain. However, but once more, Gen.G didnàt falter. Whereas Hanwha Life Esports continued to contest each main goal, Duro’s hooks and Chovy’s shockwaves repeatedly discovered their mark. After almost an hour of play, Gen.G closed out the gruelling sport to go up 2–0 within the sequence.

In sport three, Hanwha Life Esports refused to go down quietly. The crew struck first with an early kill from Viper, who shortly snowballed his lead on Sivir.

Briefly, Hanwha Life Esports outplayed Gen.G in each macro and crew fights. Canyon’s mistimed Skarner final opened the door for Hanwha Life Esports to take management, and Zeka’s Yone and Viper’s Sivir proved unstoppable because the facet dismantled Gen.G throughout the map. By the 25-minute mark, Viper was 5/0/4, and Hanwha Life Esports turned that lead right into a dominant victory, retaining hopes alive.

For what then was the final sport of the sequence, Canyon locked in Nidalee and Zeus selected Camille as each groups entered the sport. The tempo was slower than in earlier video games, even when Gen.G gave the impression to be barely within the lead.

The primary massive struggle occurred on the Herald’s door as Hanwha Life Esports stole the target however had been virtually aced by Gen.G, additional widening the latter’s lead. Gen.G then secured three dragons, reaching soul level, and a struggle close to the Atakhan spawn allowed the crew to ace Hanwha Life Esports and take full management of the midgame.

With a stable lead, Gen.G finally pushed into Hanwha Life Esports’ base, and, although Hanwha Life Esports defended it effectively, one final struggle — during which Duro sniped Zeka with a Redemption — secured a semifinals place to the LCK’s first seed.

Gen.G now strikes on to the semifinals, the place it should face both KT Rolster or CTBC Flying Oyster (October twenty ninth). Nevertheless, after a assured 3–1 victory, Gen.G made it clear the roster is prepared for whichever opponent stands in its manner.