In the third segment of the LCK, which has been underway for two weeks, GEN, who won two international titles, regained their form after losing to T1 in the first week. When facing KT, GEN achieved a 2-0 victory, bringing their regular season record to 20-1. After the international competition, T1 has undergone a complete transformation, winning all four matches in this segment, with the exception of the full match against GEN; the other three matches were all shutouts.

On the previous match day, T1 faced the HLE team, a championship roster and a galaxy fleet. In their encounter, T1 again secured a 2-0 shutout. Following four consecutive victories, T1's record improved to 15-7. If they win one more match, T1 will tie with HLE in points. In this BO3, HLE seemed to be reduced to mere pawns, with Zeka in the mid-lane becoming the team's biggest weak point, making mistakes in both games, especially in the second.

In the first game, just five minutes into the match, Zeka was caught by Oner for first blood due to overextending. Just a minute later, T1's jungle support again targeted the mid-lane. Although Zeka switched champions, he still started 1-2. By the time team fights began, the behind-the-curve Orianna had no impact at all. By 30 minutes, HLE's base was already destroyed. In the second match, HLE actually had a chance to win, but in the crucial team fight, Zeka made a critical error.

In the early stages of the second game, Oner set a rapid pace, creating a 6K gold difference by 17 minutes. HLE showed strong resilience, managing to trade evenly with T1 in team fights despite being at a significant disadvantage. By 25 minutes, HLE executed a perfect team fight, achieving a 2-for-5 trade that wiped out T1 and secured the Baron. The gold difference gradually closed, and with the combination of Xerath and Senna, HLE had a better chance of winning in the late game. As the game progressed, T1's composition started to falter.

At the 35-minute mark, HLE won another team fight and secured the Baron. While pushing for the high ground, Zeka made a crucial mistake. In a situation where victory was almost guaranteed by relying on sand soldiers, he attempted a risky maneuver and was interrupted by Old Lee Yan, which resulted in his death despite using Flash. Without Xerath, HLE quickly fell apart, with players scattering to escape. In the end, everyone except Zeus was eliminated by T1.

Zeus was also unable to defend the tower due to a disconnection, and by the time Xerath respawned, the base had already been destroyed. Zeka's errors in this match were significant; they had a winning position and didn't need to push aggressively. If he had directed the sand soldiers to output from the back, HLE would have had no chance of losing. Of course, Old Lee played well too; if that wave had pushed Xerath out, T1 would have been the ones to explode. However, in a situation where victory was assured, it seemed unnecessary to take such risks.

Zeka's current form resembles Xu Ge from the latter half of the second segment; he struggles to hold his lane against anyone and is easily caught. In team fights, he also tends to give opportunities away. Most of HLE's losses have stemmed from issues in the mid-lane. It feels like it's time for this galaxy fleet to find a substitute mid-laner. Fans on the Korean forum are calling for management to replace Zeka with BDD. If BDD were to join, HLE might actually have a chance for redemption.

However, replacing Zeka with BDD is merely a fantasy for the fans; he has already committed to retirement with KT. If necessary, HLE could promote a mid-laner from the second team. They don’t necessarily have to play, but at least Zeka needs some pressure. His recent mindset has been somewhat erratic, and if he continues like this, facing KT and NS later on could lead to disaster. If the mid-lane keeps being breached, it will be challenging for his teammates to perform.

Conclusion:

The state of the world champion mid-laners from S9 to S12 feels somewhat abstract. Doinb has become a shadow of his former self, Xu Xiu is in a slump, Scout's performance has deteriorated, and Zeka is consistently being overwhelmed. It feels a bit like "Four-Wheel Brothers." However, despite HLE's recent poor performance, they won plenty in the first two segments, so they should have no issues making the playoffs. The situation for LPL's JD and NIP is less certain.

So, what do you think? Does HLE need to replace their mid-laner?

Feel free to leave your thoughts and discuss!