If we had to identify the real opponent that makes the fans of T1 the most worried at Worlds 2023, it has to be JD Gaming. The reason is that JDG is even stronger than Gen.G or Bilibili Gaming, who have caused T1 a lot of trouble. The LPL representative is also evaluated to be more likely to win the championship than Gen.G, who has been eliminated earlier. Therefore, the match between T1 – JDG is considered an early semifinal, and whichever team wins can be said to have one hand on the 2023 Worlds championship.
But once T1 activated their “LPL’s Slayer” “passive,” the LPL teams must have truly felt worried. And then, JDG followed in the footsteps of BLG and LNG before them, completely failing against Faker and his teammates. Although throughout the matches, except for game 1, JDG made things difficult for T1. But what JDG delivered was just a consolation victory in a match where they were rated higher, with a roster that can be said to be on par or even stronger than T1.
Notably, Faker’s Shurima Shuffle play in the pivotal third game sent the League of Legends audience into a frenzy of excitement. Across all forums, this moment has been shared dozens of times by fans. Especially, many viewers even asserted: “This play must be included in textbooks if we want to develop League of Legends. Faker will always be the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) regardless of the outcome of the match.”
Notably, it seems that Faker’s perfect play has also significantly boosted T1’s morale. They handled game 4 smoothly and secured a final victory of 3-1. This can be said to be an unexpected score before the semifinals took place.
With this victory, T1 officially advances to the finals to face Weibo Gaming. That will also be a tense showdown, but it is the final opponent for T1 before they become the greatest champions in League of Legends history.