Hanwha Life Esports

From runner-up at Worlds to LCK champions: a history of high-level competition.

Hanwha Life Esports (HLE) is a South Korean esports organization based in Seoul, owned by Hanwha Life Insurance. The group fields teams in League of Legends and Kart Rider, with the former competing in the LCK, Korea's top professional league. In mid-2018, HLE acquired the roster and LCK spot from ROX Tigers (formerly KOO and GE Tigers). The organization carries a legacy of high stakes: as KOO Tigers, they reached the 2015 World Championship finals in Berlin, losing to SK Telecom T1. As ROX Tigers, they won their first domestic title in 2016 before placing third at Worlds that same year. Under HLE, the team climbed back to prominence, securing a 3rd place finish in the 2024 Spring regular season and claiming their first LCK trophy by defeating Gen.G 3–1 in the 2024 Summer playoffs.

Quick Facts

Sport

League of Legends; Kart Rider

Founded

14 November 2016 (as Huya Tigers); 16 April 2018 (as Hanwha Life Esports)

League

League of Legends Champions Korea; Kart Rider League

Arena

Seoul LCK Arena

City

Seoul

Parent group

Hanwha Life Insurance

Coach

Yoon "Homme" Sung-young

Championships

1x MSI (2026)
1x First Stand (2025)
2× LCK (Summer 2016, Summer 2024)
1× LCK Cup (2025)

Lore & Background

The team's origins trace back to November 2014, founded by Chinese social networking site YY and its parent company, Guongzhou Huaduo Network Technology (Duowan Inc.), under the name HUYA Tigers. Registered through GE Entertainment, the initial roster featured Smeb, Lee, KurO, PraY, and GorillA, led by head coach NoFe. They quickly qualified for the SBENU Champions Spring 2015, finishing tied for third with KT Rolster in the pre-season before renaming to GE Tigers. In 2016, following a sponsorship change from KooTV, they became ROX Tigers. That year, they dominated the regular season with the highest team KDA and saw Smeb named MVP of both the Spring and Summer splits. Despite losing the Spring final to SKT T1 3–1, they secured their first LCK title by winning the 2016 Summer playoffs.

Reader's Guide

To understand HLE's competitive path, one must track their seasonal performances and roster stability. The team has consistently challenged for top spots, finishing second in the 2024 Summer regular season with a 14–4 record behind Gen.G (17–1). Key moments include the acquisition of the LCK spot in mid-2018 and the 2024 Spring roster featuring Doran, Peanut, Zeka, Viper, and Delight. A crucial turning point occurred in 2024 when Peanut, the youngest member of the 2016 ROX Tigers championship-winning squad, led the team to the 2024 Summer title. Fans should note that while HLE missed the 2024 Mid-Season Invitational due to a Spring playoff loss, their Summer victory marked a historic return to the summit, ending Gen.G's dream of a Golden Road in League of Legends esports history.