Peyz named KeSPA Cup MVP as he wins first trophy with T1

Jack Stewart, Senior Editor

Last Updated: 15/12/2025

T1 won the League of Legends KeSPA Cup, earning new ADC Kim ‘Peyz‘ Su-hwan his first trophy with the prestigious organisation.

He helped the team defeat Hanwha Life Esports (HLE) 3-2 and get revenge on former T1 botlaner Lee ‘Gumayusi‘ Min-hyeong.

It also adds yet another trophy to the vast collection of Lee ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok after his first KeSPA Cup appearance.

Gumayusi had already quickly reminded his former teammates what they were missing, as HLE beat T1 in the Upper Bracket Semifinals.

However, T1’s new botlane duo of Peyz and Ryu ‘Keria’ Min-seok also look absolutely terrifying.

Peyz had a monstrous final, recording a 3/1/5 score on Varus, a 9/2/7 score on Aphelios, and an 11/0/6 score on Zeri in T1’s wins in the final.

His impressive bot lane showings were a huge factor in T1 stopping HLE from completing a reverse sweep and earning T1 the trophy.

As a result, Peyz was crowned the KeSPA Cup MVP in a promising start to his stint on T1.

Though the pressure on him will remain intensely high as T1 have won the last three LoL World Championships.

Still, Peyz’s performances were very impressive considering the calibre of his opponents.

The KeSPA Cup used to be more of an exhibition event, with top players usually turning down invites to instead rest before the new season.

However, the latest iteration was much more important as it was a mandatory event for any player who wants to compete in the 2026 Asian Games.

The Asian Games are important to a lot of Korean players as winning the event can allow them to earn exemption from mandatory military service.

LCK 2026 looks stacked

The LCK is the strongest LoL esports league in the world, and the competition in the 2026 season looks especially fierce.

All eyes will be on Korean botlaners next year, especially with the new 7th item for ADCs change coming to LoL next year.

The T1-adjacent rivalry between Gumayusi and Peyz has a third member in Sin ‘Smash’ Guem-jae.

Smash was the T1 academy botlaner who was fighting for a starting place on T1 last year, with Gumayusi controversially benched at one time.

Now, as the owner of a sole starting spot, Smash looked fantastic during the KeSPA Cup. He certainly has a point to prove.

And of course, you can’t forget Gen.G either, who have one of the best ADCs in the world in Park ‘Ruler’ Jae-hyuk.

Gen.G didn’t field their full roster at the KeSPA Cup as the team recover from their bitter Worlds disappointment.

They’ll look to finally go one better in 2026, led by the Game Awards 2025’s Esports Athlete of the Year, Chovy.

Jack Stewart, Senior Editor

In my seven years of esports writing, I've introduced esports coverage to newspapers, interviewed some of the biggest names in the industry, and driven viewers mad with the puns in my YouTube scripts. I'm most proud of the latter.

All Posts By Jack Stewart