Zeus said no to Hanwha Life Esports, at least for now. The top laner rejected the team's contract extension offer before Worlds 2026 began, according to Inven, and is expected to explore free agency to see what he is worth on the open market.

His deal runs out in mid-November, with several reports putting the date at November 16. That leaves HLE little more than a week to change his mind once the Worlds final is played on November 14.

HLE aren't giving up

The door isn't closed. An HLE representative said the team is still in discussions with the player, and none of the reports suggest Zeus has agreed terms anywhere else. Insider Gaming, also citing Inven, reported that he recently changed agents and that negotiations began after the new agent came in.

Turning down an extension to test the market is a familiar move in the LCK, and it doesn't always end in a departure. Some fans have read it as leverage as much as a goodbye.

A season of highs and one big low

The timing makes it a hard call for both sides. Zeus won MSI with HLE this year, after lifting First Stand with them in 2025, his first season with the team after leaving T1 as a world champion.

But Worlds went badly. HLE went 2–3 in the Swiss stage, beating TES and G2 but losing to GEN, IG and BLG, and went home before the knockout stage, the first MSI champions to miss the Worlds playoffs in the same year, per Sheep Esports.

What comes next

If no deal is done, Zeus would be one of the biggest names on the market this offseason, and one of the few top laners who can claim both a Worlds title and an international trophy in the last two years. Fans have already started floating a T1 reunion, though nothing in the reports points that way yet. For now, HLE still hold the pen.