The upcoming match on November 12 between T1 and JD Gaming is guaranteed to be the most watched match. For those who may not know, the match between T1 and LNG Esports broke all viewership records for a match in the history of World Championship to date. Notably, this matchup garnered over 3 million views, not including the Chinese market. The appeal of T1 is beyond question. However, this has also placed immense pressure on the T1 stars as well as JDG and their players, especially since T1 is considered “LCK’s last hope.”
For the T1 players, even before the tournament began, Gumayusi and Oner had mentioned multiple times that the current line-up of the team would undergo many changes after the conclusion of the World Championship 2023. Everyone knows that this is the period just after the contracts of key players such as Gumayusi, Keria, and Zeus expire. These three players have been crucial, maintaining high performance almost throughout their time wearing the T1 jersey.
Many believe that everything will become clear after the World Championship 2023 concludes, specifically after the finals. However, according to former renowned commentator Caedrel, things might unfold sooner. Caedrel commented: “The T1 – JDG match could determine T1’s roster for the next season. If they win, there’s a very high chance that T1 will retain the entire roster. If they lose, this could very well be one of the most disappointing rosters in League of Legends history, being so strong yet ending up empty-handed.”
In reality, for all four teams in the Semifinals, the upcoming match could very well be their last of the 2023 season. Therefore, Caedrel’s assessment is entirely reasonable, as right after the Semifinal matches, two teams will have to end their season immediately. At that point, attention will shift to transfer news.
Nevertheless, the possibility of T1 retaining their entire roster is quite high. T1 has never relied on foreign players. Meanwhile, the current players are still very young and have proven to be some of the best currently competing in the LCK. Therefore, missing out on this line-up could mean T1 may never find a roster of such quality again.