In the match of the winners’ bracket final of the LCK Spring 2023 qualifiers between T1 and Gen.G, Faker and his teammates achieved a crucial victory. This win allows T1 to advance to the grand finals of the Spring 2023 tournament and boosts their chances of capturing the championship. More importantly, T1 becomes the first team from LCK to participate in the upcoming MSI 2023 held in London.
With this victory, T1 also set two new records since the team was still known as SKT T1. First, in the domestic league, T1 has qualified for the finals of the season for the 14th time. Previously, they had participated in the finals 13 times and secured 9 championships. This is also the highest number of finals appearances by any team in this region. Even the historically successful Gen.G (formerly Samsung Galaxy) cannot compare.
Next, on the international stage, specifically at MSI, T1 has qualified for this tournament for the 6th time. With this achievement, T1 is the team with the most appearances in this tournament. The teams that follow are G2 Esports (G2), Royal Never Give Up (RNG), and Flash Wolves (FW), each with 4 appearances. However, FW has disbanded while RNG officially lost their spot at MSI after a defeat to Bilibili Gaming (also on April 1st). Only G2 is left closely trailing T1, but this year marks their 4th appearance at the tournament.
However, even though RNG is not participating, T1 still trails the LPL representative in one key statistic – the number of MSI championships. Specifically, in 4 appearances at this international tournament, RNG has claimed the crown 3 times, an impressive feat. The League of Legends community has even suggested that RNG may not need to exert much effort, as Spring and MSI are considered their “home turf”.
With RNG officially watching from home, T1 has a clear path to equaling the “Royal Legion’s” championship record. However, T1’s players must remain cautious, especially since their star lineup displayed a disappointing MSI last year despite entering the tournament as an undefeated team.