Perhaps, there has never been a World Championship (Worlds) where the draw results received as much attention from the community as this year. In fact, the male referee who conducted the draw throughout the Swiss round of Worlds 2023 even accidentally became a famous figure that many fans and KOLs wanted to check in with. However, once the Swiss round ended, his task was complete.
Only, “Mr. BeryL” even made Worlds 2023 more dramatic when his draws brought about many “China-Korea showdowns” full of fate: Gen.G – Bilibili Gaming, T1 – LNG Esports, or KT Rolster – JD Gaming.
Of course, at this point, KT’s chance to overcome JDG can be seen as extremely difficult, nearly impossible. Because, during the match against DK, KT allowed their opponent to hold numerous advantages. If ShowMaker or Canyon had played more calmly, DK would have been the team to advance. And KT cannot repeat that against JDG. The LPL representative always takes great advantage of opportunities, and players like Kanavi, Ruler, or Knight are in much better form than Deft, ShowMaker, or Canyon.
However, if KT manages to overcome JDG and T1 also defeats LNG, the semifinal match will feature a clash between T1 and KT. According to LCK media, this would also be the first “telecom showdown” in Worlds history. At that point, this could be considered one of the most meaningful semifinals in the history of all Worlds.
As we know, the match between T1 and KT has always been considered a “telecom showdown” and both teams have been rivals since KT first formed a League of Legends team. But in reality, this rivalry has lasted long before League of Legends was born. Specifically, this will be the 20th time since KT and SKT T1 first faced off in a “telecom showdown” in StarCraft. Since then, this fateful match has been linked with the development history of Esports in Korea and the world.
Now, T1 and KT have the opportunity to create another meaningful milestone for the Korean Esports scene and LCK. Of course, to achieve this, both teams must strive their hardest. Because both JDG and LNG are strong opponents, and they certainly won’t let KT or T1 easily secure a spot in the Semifinals.