As you may know, the two League of Legends teams, T1 and Royal Never Give Up (RNG), have a long-standing rivalry in the past. They are considered two of the top esports organizations in their respective regions, bearing the responsibility of bringing honor to their countries whenever they compete internationally.
Therefore, T1 and RNG bring a lot of emotions to fans around the world whenever they face off. In all their encounters, the Korean representatives have often secured victories during the group stage matches. As they enter the knockout rounds, T1 and RNG appear evenly matched, with T1 usually performing better in the World Championship while RNG has had better results at the Mid Season Invitational. Now, let’s analyze both teams before the second quarterfinal match begins.
Team Strengths
At this point, T1 is in excellent form. They boast Zeus, a top laner who stands out significantly from the rest of the tournament. The young talent from T1 has utilized carry champions in all six group stage matches, applying immense pressure on opponents and gradually leading the team to victory. Zeus’s strengths lie not only in his individual skills but also in his alertness and cleverness in avoiding enemy jungle ganks.
As for the remaining four members, they are also starting to regain their form after a tough period at the end of the LCK Summer Split. Oner, Faker, Gumayusi, and Keria have all been more stable, rediscovering their best feelings while playing. Notably, the AD carry Gumayusi is gradually regaining confidence towards the end of the group stage, providing reassurance to fans. Previously, they felt Gumayusi had significant mental struggles while competing in the LCK Summer 2022. In terms of individual skills, T1 is very confident in themselves at the moment, having dominated their group stage opponents with this very advantage.
On the RNG side, they are also performing well in the 2022 Worlds. Except for the bot lane duo, RNG’s players’ individual skills aren’t particularly standout compared to the championship contenders. Xiaohu has fallen behind from his peak performance, while Wei and Breath have yet to reach superstar levels to influence the outcome of matches. Therefore, RNG relies heavily on their bot lane duo, especially AD carry GALA. In terms of individual skills, T1 is rated slightly higher than RNG, with the most significant gap likely at the top lane. The focus of the match will be on the bot lane as GALA and Ming will match up against Gumayusi and Keria.
Strategic Impact and Cohesion
Regarding strategic impact, RNG has demonstrated more than T1 during the group stage. RNG’s gameplay is quite diverse; they can play around Breath, Wei, or GALA, while mid laner Xiaohu acts as a shuttle in the team composition. The “Little Tiger” often moves a lot and uses a support champion to assist his teammates.
However, T1 may not have fully revealed their strategies yet, and they could prepare surprising choices for the upcoming quarterfinal match. T1’s gameplay during the group stage was very straightforward; they did not focus on the Meta but played to their personnel’s strengths. Young talent Zeus was used as a core champion in all six matches, with each game featuring a different character. As a result, they overwhelmed all opponents in their encounters. If T1 only plays in the same manner as in the group stage, they may be at a disadvantage against RNG in terms of strategy implementation.
In terms of cohesion, both teams, T1 and RNG, display excellent synergy. Both Korean and Chinese representatives have outstanding leaders like Ming and Faker. They have long been involved with League of Legends, understand the mechanisms of the game, and know how to support and communicate with their teammates effectively. Therefore, the cohesion between the fourth seed from the LPL and the second seed from the LCK is “evenly matched”.
External Factors
At this time, T1 is in the best psychological and physical state. They have the full support of their fans, and the LCK teams are standing by them, overcoming difficult days together and thriving at the end of the group stage. After a break to prepare for the quarterfinal match, T1 is ready to bring honor back to their region.
After a few days of rest, RNG is certainly less fatigued than on the last day of Group D, allowing them to recover some of their health. However, this team still hasn’t reached a full 100% physical foundation, so the LPL representatives will have to overcome challenges in the upcoming match.
Predicted Outcome
Considering all the factors mentioned, the representative from the LCK is rated slightly higher than their LPL counterpart. Therefore, the majority of the League of Legends community worldwide is likely to favor a favorable result for T1. The score could be 3-2 or 3-1 in favor of the second seed from Korea.