Fearless Draft finally brings the hype to First Stand 2025 as KC and HLE sweep their opponents on day 3

Day three of League of Legends’s First Stand tournament delivered its most exciting action yet despite two clean-sweep results. While Hanwha Life Esports cemented their position as the favorite to win it all, Karmine Corp finally found their footing, reigniting the hopes of the EMEA region.

HLE’s games were a masterclass in both control and creativity, as they closed out their series against CTBC Flying Oyster in 23 and 27 minutes respectively. On the other hand, KC delivered a much-needed turnaround, taking down Top Esports in two 31-minute battles that kept the Blue Wall fans holding their breath. But the Group Stage of the first ever First Stand is not over yet, and the results of the tournament could be turned overnight.

HLE vs. CFO, the Fearless Draft that finally delivered

Coming into this series, HLE had already established themselves as the tournament favorites, showcasing clean execution and a deep champion pool in previous matches. CFO, on the other hand, despite their previous unexpected win against KC, needed a statement win to prove they could contend with the best. Instead, they ran into a LCK representative that looked unstoppable, taking over both games with superior teamfighting.

HLE opened the match strong, setting the tone early thanks to Peanut’s Vi controlling the jungle, which enabed Zeka’s Yone to dominate mid while Viper’s Ashe and Delight’s Rakan completely neutralized CFO’s bot lane. CFO’s hopes rested on Doggo’s Ezreal scaling, but with HongQ struggling on Azir, they never found the footing they needed. Peanut’s constant aggression on Vi never let CFO breathe, and with their lead solidified, HLE closed the game out in just 23 minutes, finishing with a 19-4 kill lead.

In the post-match press conference, Zeus addressed HLE’s unconventional champion choices, stating that some of the picks, like CFO’s Karma top, had been discussed with the coaching staff beforehand, while others were based on scrim results.

If game one was all about execution, game two was pure chaos, with three new champions making their tournament debut.

CFO’s draft—Gragas, Kindred, Taliyah, Corki, and Leona—was an unusual mix of disengage and scaling power. Meanwhile, HLE went all-in on aggression, drafting Vladimir, Nidalee, Zed, Miss Fortune, and Rell in what was easily one of the boldest comps of the tournament so far. But despite the risk, HLE executed flawlessly. 

The early game erupted into a chaotic fight at the Grubs, with Peanut’s Nidalee and Zeka’s Zed tearing through CFO’s backline.

But the biggest moment came during a Dragon contest, where Zeus teleported onto a Nidalee trap with Vladimir just as CFO engaged them. However, Delight’s Rell landed a perfect Magnet Storm, locking CFO down and allowing HLE to sweep the fight. From there, it was all over—HLE secured Baron, chased down CFO in front of their base, and finished the game with a decisive ace.

HLE support Delight later spoke about the importance of staying focused despite their dominance, saying that no matter which team they face, HLE always have to consider that they can lose. “In esports, no result is set in stone,” he concluded.

At this point, HLE looks so dominant that they might not drop a single game all tournament. With a massive champion pool, clean execution, and the best matchups, they remain the team to beat.

KC vs. TES, a long-awaited first international win

After two disappointing losses, KC came into this series with their backs against the wall. A loss here would have all but ended their tournament hopes, but instead, they pulled off a 2-0 upset against one of the strongest teams in the tournament. This was the first time KC looked like the team that won the LEC, and if they can maintain this level of play their first international result could lead the EMEA fans to hope for a title regional borders.

KC found their stride right from the start, with Yike’s Skarner and Targamas’ Karma completely controlling the early game. Their synergy set up clean engages and enabled Vladi’s Taliyah to roam freely, creating early advantages that TES struggled to answer.

By 16 minutes, KC had built a solid gold lead, but more importantly, they played around their resources effectively, never allowing TES a real comeback opportunity. Kanavi’s Viego and JackeyLove’s Kalista tried to turn fights, but KC’s team coordination was simply better. After securing Baron, they executed a clean final push, taking game one in 31 minutes with a 33-16 kill lead.

And game two played out similarly, with KC securing an early lead again, as by 15 minutes they were ahead by 3K gold, but this time, TES fought back. Kanavi’s Karthus pick allowed TES to match KC, and after securing the Atakhan buff, they pushed aggressively to even out the gold. For a brief moment, it seemed like they might turn the match around.

But Vladi’s Yone roams swung momentum back in KC’s favor, while Yike’s Ivern provided the utility to keep his carries alive. After a clutch Baron call, KC found the decisive fight they needed, wiping TES and closing out the game to secure their first international win with a 2-0 in First Stand.

Despite the majority of fans being surprised by today’s result, for TES’ top laner, 369, a KC win was only a matter of time as he predicted Western teams to perform well this tournament. After the win, Caliste confidently said that today they showed the real face of KC—”the same team that won the LEC.”

With day three wrapped up, the stakes continue to rise at League of Legends’ First Stand. Tomorrow, CFO will look to bounce back in their match against Team Liquid, hoping to salvage their tournament run, while KC faces their toughest challenge yet—going up against the seemingly unstoppable HLE.

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