After the match between T1 and Gen.G, another matchup is eagerly awaited, namely the “China-Korea showdown” between T1 and JD Gaming. This will be the second encounter between the two teams in a BO5 match in an international tournament. The previous encounter was in the semifinals of Worlds 2022, where T1 secured a decisive victory with a score of 3-1.
However, at this moment, both JDG and T1 are highly regarded and are top contenders for the championship. Furthermore, experts also believe that this match is very unpredictable in terms of final score and unfolding. Both JDG and T1 are at the highest level and possess top stars who can turn the tide of the match with just one brilliant play.
Notably, both JDG and T1 currently have marksmen who are considered the highest caliber in the League of Legends community. Moreover, both Gumayusi and Ruler are in excellent form. In matches against MAD Lions and Gen.G, Gumayusi delivered performances that left fans ecstatic. In fact, Gumayusi proved that his setbacks against Peyz in the Spring LCK finals were merely accidents.
As for Ruler, JDG is truly “living” off the performance of this marksman and Knight. The duo of marksman and mid-laner at JDG are key players in the team’s absolute victory over Bilibili Gaming. With a marksman who has played for many years like Ruler, moving to JDG is perhaps one of the best choices he has made.
According to experts and fans alike, the match between the two teams will determine nearly 70-90% of the championship. The reason cited is that both teams possess a “star-studded” roster in peak form. Assuming one of the two teams loses and drops to the losers’ bracket, teams like BLG or Cloud9 will find it difficult to make an impact against either of these two teams. The only team that could defeat JDG/T1 is Gen.G. However, if T1 meets Gen.G again early, Faker and his teammates will surely not repeat the mistakes made in their previous encounter.
Ruler himself affirmed: “If we defeat T1, my chances of winning the championship with JDG will increase to 90%”. Thus, we can see that the JDG – T1 match is not merely a China-Korea battle; one of the two teams could grasp a hand on the MSI 2023 championship if they claim victory in this duel.