As we know, after defeating Dplus KIA, T1 was immediately chosen by KT Rolster as their opponent in the next playoff match. At that time, T1 was rated very low after losing to KT twice in the group stage. Additionally, having to play two consecutive BO5 matches in less than 24 hours was indeed a tough challenge, especially with Faker just returning from injury. However, overcoming all doubts, T1 won convincingly with a score of 3-1 against KT.
It goes without saying how excited the T1 players and their fans were about this result. T1 had gone through a disappointing series of matches when Faker was injured. The pressure on the players and fans was understandable. More importantly, even the experts and T1 fans themselves did not dare to believe they would win. Therefore, the emotional outburst of the young T1 stars was something everyone could predict.
However, when the translation of the mic check segment from the T1 – KT match, especially in the decisive game 4, was released, it sparked controversy. According to the Chinese translation, Oner used very harsh words directed at the KT players. He did not hesitate to call these players “r**h” or other vulgar terms. This led to Oner facing significant criticism from the LPL community and even in Vietnam.
However, some opinions suggest that using harsh language in competitions is not uncommon. Moreover, Oner has been one of the most criticized and least trusted players in T1 recently. Winning against KT with what can be described as an excellent performance, Oner’s outburst is considered normal. Some even argue that, in combat sports, there are only opponents on the battlefield. Furthermore, Oner did not use any language that was unacceptable. Additionally, due to the language barrier, unless the LCK issues a punishment or local fans speak out, all translations should only be considered as references.
Currently, the incident is still causing controversy in the international League of Legends community. Soon, T1 will face KT again, and undoubtedly, Oner will still be the most scrutinized name in the T1 lineup. A poor result could lead to the young player receiving “backlash” for his previous statements.