T1 entered the “telecommunication battle” against KT Rolster on June 29 as part of the LCK Summer 2024 with a very different mindset: they were the first team in LCK history to play at home. This is a milestone that can be considered quite special, but it also brought immense pressure. In fact, KT was the more relaxed team while T1 bore the burden of having to perform well, especially after T1 Challengers recently had an unsuccessful start. The only thing is, Faker and his teammates were left feeling helpless.
A KT in the Summer is a very different KT. On a day of competition with a relaxed mindset, KT Rolster simply overwhelmed T1 in the early stages of all three games. In the first game, it can be said that T1 somewhat woke up just in time. However, in the last two games, KT showed just how formidable they are. After a series of defeats to T1 since the LCK Summer 2023 playoffs, KT finally “broke the curse” and ended their losing streak against T1. For T1, this marks their second loss in the first round of the LCK Summer 2024 group stage.
Notably, T1 also became the first team in LCK history to lose at home. The T1 players could not overcome the pressure, and aside from Dplus KIA, KT became the second team among the top five LCK teams to win against T1. This is truly a bad precedent as T1 will have to go into the upcoming week facing another strong opponent: Hanwha Life Esports.
Still, this was Faker and his teammates’ first home game, and the pressure was unavoidable. At least, T1 still has time, and they can certainly learn from this experience for a smoother remaining phase in the LCK Spring 2024 group stage. For KT, this will be a significant morale booster for the team to bounce back after a series of forgettable days when they continuously lost to teams competing directly for the title as well as the spots in the World Championship.