The other notable match of Round 2 in the group stage of MSI 2024 was the showdown between T1 and Bilibili Gaming. Both teams had struggled in their previous matches against opponents deemed weaker, namely G2 Esports and PSG Talon. Moreover, neither T1 nor BLG had convincingly performed up to this point, from the Spring Split until now. Therefore, this match was seen as fairly balanced, with many opinions stating that the score would be very close, regardless of which team emerged victorious.
However, in the end, all T1 could achieve was one win and a bit of early-game difficulty for BLG across all four games. Once BLG regained their rhythm, Faker and his teammates could only endure. The matchup that was expected to be a close contest turned into a stroll in the park for the LPL representatives. Meanwhile, the T1 players made increasingly more mistakes as the games progressed. Ultimately, their blunders, sometimes even worse than amateur plays, led to a crushing defeat with a score of 1-3.
There are many reasons for this defeat, from the drafting phase to skill execution, and various factors during the match. However, the most significant reason for T1’s disappointing performance in this match was the pressure and tension faced by the players when competing against an opponent they considered equal or slightly superior. Even Faker was heavily countered as BLG focused on locking down his playmaking champions. Meanwhile, Faker’s four teammates had an extremely forgettable day. In fact, at the end of game 4, Gumayusi made a perplexing play by using Fate’s Call to pull Keria right in front of ON’s Nautilus even though he could have retreated. Or Keria only used his ultimate correctly once throughout game 4, which also happened to be the final team fight that concluded the match.
A devoted T1 fan bluntly stated: “T1 no longer plays like champions. They made mistakes from the drafting phase to every situation in the match. Perhaps the biggest enemy of T1 today is themselves, not BLG, and they lost in a crucial battle against themselves.”
In reality, there is still hope for T1. Opponents in the losers’ bracket like TL or G2 are formidable but not insurmountable. T1 needs to immediately address their issues if they want to avoid losing yet another title, leaving only the World Championship to cling to.