Summary:
- Peanut has announced that he will begin his mandatory military service in 2026, which means he will step away from his professional career for the time being.
- He will still compete in the LCK finals and Worlds 2025, which will be his last tournaments before taking a break.
- After more than ten years of success in the LCK, Worlds is the one major title Peanut has not yet won.
Han “Peanut” Wang-ho, the star jungler of Hanwha Life Esports, announced he will step away in 2026 for military service. The announcement followed HLE’s clean 3-0 sweep over KT Rolster, securing them a spot in the LCK grand finals in Incheon. With this victory, HLE also qualified for Worlds 2025 in China, where Peanut will make his final international appearance.
A Decade at the Top
Peanut has played in the LCK for more than ten years. He started with NaJin e-mFire and became well-known with the ROX Tiger. It is where he won the Summer 2016 championship and played a memorable series against SKT T1 at Worlds. After that, he joined SKT in 2017, winning the Spring Split and MSI, but lost to Samsung Galaxy in the Worlds finals.
After SKT, Peanut played for Kingzone DragonX, Gen.G, LGD Gaming, and Nongshim RedForce. He returned to Gen.G in 2022 and found more success. Playing alongside teammates like Chovy, Ruler, and Lehends, he won several LCK titles but still failed to win Worlds.
In 2024, Peanut joined Hanwha Life Esports, which has connections to his time with ROX. The team surprised many by winning the Summer Split, but did not win Worlds. After HLE’s strong playoff run in 2025, Peanut now has one last chance to compete before his military service.
The Road Ahead
Peanut will finish the current season by playing in the LCK grand finals and Worlds before starting his 18-month military service in 2026. For fans, Worlds 2025 is important because it is both HLE’s chance and Peanut’s final international tournament before his break.
After his last match, Peanut gave handwritten thank-you notes and small gifts to the staff and hosts to show his appreciation.
“Thank you for everything. Because of you, I was able to have valuable moments. This small gift is a token of my appreciation.”
Military Service
South Korean law requires men under 28 to serve in the military for about 18 months. This is unless they get exemptions by winning medals at events like the Asian Games. Unlike players like Faker, Chovy, and Zeus, who have exemptions, Peanut and Deft do not, so they must leave the competition for service.
Peanut will be 28 in early 2026, so he must serve in the military already. Clearly, his absence shows that a new generation of Korean League of Legends players is starting to take over and show their skills to the world.
Conclusion
Whatever happens at Worlds 2025, Peanut is already known as one of the top junglers in LCK history. He made a name for himself with ROX Tigers and won championships with SKT, Kingzone, Gen.G, and HLE. Now, all eyes turn to Worlds 2025, where Peanut will chase the only title missing from his career before answering the call of duty.
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