Kanavi ties a sad record that has stood for 11 years in LCK history

Kanavi faces heavy criticism following his poor showing while playing for HLE. The leading LCK jungler has matched a negative record that lasted 11 years.

Kanavi died 12 times in a single game

HLE started the phase Rounds 3-4 of LCK 2026 in the most disappointing way possible. This team suffered two consecutive losses with the same score of 1-2, despite having opportunities to win in the decisive games.

Kanavi is the most disappointing player in the HLE lineup. In the first game against KT Rolster, the Korean jungler finished with a KDA of 1/12/11.

Being eliminated 12 times caused Kanavi to equal Watch's forgettable record, a former Najin e-mFire jungler. Watch once died 12 times in a match against CJ Entus in LCK Spring 2015. This sad record had existed for 11 years before Kanavi re-established it.

Notably, Watch at that time had more kills and assists than Kanavi. This makes the performance of the HLE star even more controversial in the League of Legends community.

HLE faces a form problem

Kanavi later admitted that he made many mistakes in the loss to KT Rolster. The pressure on him is even greater because Kanavi not only plays the jungler role but also serves as captain and one of the main shotcallers for HLE.

Kanavi's inconsistent form is directly affecting the team's coordination. Hasty decisions or unreasonable fight choices have caused HLE to lose advantages multiple times at crucial moments.

After winning MSI 2026, HLE holds an advantage in the race for a spot at Worlds 2026. However, this team cannot be complacent if they aim for greater titles.

Kanavi needs to quickly regain his form to help HLE overcome this difficult period. If mistakes continue to appear, the MSI champions could pay the price in the rest of the season.