Doran has an “incredible” record when facing T1
In the history of LCK and T1 in particular, as well as in the professional League of Legends scene in general, there have been many teams or players who are a “hard counter” to SKT T1/T1. However, since the ZOFGK lineup was established, accompanied by numerous glories, there are not many teams or players who can completely dominate T1 anymore. Even the “unrivaled” Gen.G does not instill too much fear in T1 and has even come close to losing multiple times if Gen.G’s players hadn’t pulled off some “miraculous” plays. But there is one name that has consistently caused T1 significant distress, and that is Doran.
Specifically, from 2022 until the end of 2024, Doran has only lost to T1 twice and has won all other matches against them, specifically in the BO5 series. Notably, the matches that Doran won (or the two losses) against T1 all ended with significant score differences (3-0, 3-1). Remarkably, almost always after these victories, Doran would also claim the title at LCK. The only exception was in Spring 2024, when HLE won one match but then lost again in a crucial rematch in the lower bracket, causing Doran to miss the chance to participate in MSI that year.
T1 – Doran proves the saying “if it’s too hard to win, just buy it”
Of course, no one can deny that Zeus is still the top Top Laner, if not the most successful in the history of League of Legends. But Doran is also not an ordinary player. He has proven that he can overcome challenges and succeed. At the same time, T1 – Doran has also been joked about by fans saying, “if you can’t beat them, just buy them.”
It’s unclear how successful Doran will be with T1. But for now, he has calmed the “storm” and is perhaps ready for his second MSI appearance in his career. His current teammates are still of high quality, and winning the championship will undoubtedly remain the ultimate goal for this entire team, not just Doran.