Whenever a tournament begins, people tend to look for the top contenders for the championship of that particular event. Especially with significant tournaments like the World Championship (Worlds), the teams that are expected to perform well are scrutinized even more, resulting in added pressure. However, there is one team that is considered a contender for the title in every tournament they participate in. That team is T1 – the team currently dominating Worlds with 3 championships – the most in the history of the tournament and the League of LoL scene.
But it must be emphasized that one of the weaknesses that has caused T1 to fail in many recent finals lies in their drafting strategy. For some unknown reason, in Worlds 2022, T1 continuously let Aatrox go for Kingen even though he is a comfort champion that helped DRX defeat Gen.G prior. In the recent LCK Summer finals against Gen.G, T1 also struggled to counter Peyz’s Zeri.
However, perhaps the nightmare of Zeri will no longer haunt T1. Accordingly, Zeri will receive another round of nerfs in the upcoming patch 13.18. It is unclear how much Zeri’s strength will be reduced, but many predict that Riot will directly target her interactions with Statikk Shiv. Additionally, another strong marksman, Xayah, will also be nerfed.
Moreover, many T1 fans are also extremely happy to hear that alongside Zeri’s nerf, Jhin and Thresh will receive buffs. Surely everyone remembers that Jhin is a champion that Gumayusi is very comfortable with while Thresh is Keria’s specialty. Previously, many opinions suggested that T1 would be incredibly strong at Worlds 2023 as Caitlyn has also received buffs.
Nonetheless, the crucial factor for T1 players to ascend at Worlds 2023 lies in their own performance. Faker and his teammates need to focus intensely, minimizing mistakes right from the drafting phase. The opportunity has arrived, but whether Faker and his teammates can seize it remains a question that fans will only have answered when Worlds 2023 officially begins.