Recently, T1 had an easy victory over Hanwha Life Esports in a match that was initially predicted to be quite challenging for Faker and his teammates. HLE is always regarded as the “super team” of the LCK, and the team itself has made some incredibly quality additions during the late 2023 transfer window. This includes the trio from Gen.G: Doran, Peanut, and Delight. They are seen as the “kryptonite” of T1, as the last time they lost to T1 was way back at MSI 2023.
In this matchup, all three lanes of T1 performed excellently against opponents who could be considered equally matched. Even when the opponents created balanced situations, HLE could not compete with T1’s star lineup. Notably, the top lane with Doran became one of the critical weaknesses as Zeus showcased outstanding performance. Especially in the second game using Yone, Zeus rendered the “200 years of experience” champion K’Sante incredibly weak. Doran’s tower dive at the start of game 2 was perhaps the only highlight for HLE in their recent match against T1.
Witnessing Zeus’s great performance, T1 fans did not hesitate to assert that the 2004-born player will win the MVP award this year: “Is it too early to say that, although 2024 is not over, Zeus will be the best player in the League of Legends scene this year?” Since overcoming psychological pressure after ASIAD 2023, Zeus has gradually become a reliable choice for T1 in the Top Lane position. In the recent 2023 World Championship, T1’s championship had a significant contribution from the young superstar.
In 2024, T1’s goal is not only domestic titles or MSI and the World Championship but also a journey towards a “Golden Road”. And in this journey, the role of the 2004-born superstar will be crucial, especially as T1’s playstyle is shifting more towards the top lane rather than funneling resources to Gumayusi.
Not to mention, Zeus is still very young and has a lot of potential for development. In fact, many viewers have compared him to the legend MaRin and hope that the “Thunder God” will succeed his predecessor in the not-too-distant future.