T1 breaks a series of ‘hexes’ in Worlds history
After a tense semi-final match between T1 and Gen.G, the only team that could smile was the reigning champion of Worlds 2023. Faker and his teammates delivered an excellent performance against an opponent that has long been seen as T1’s “hard counter” in recent years. Notably, in this victory, T1 also shattered numerous ‘hexes’ in Worlds history. It can be said that even before reaching the finals, T1 has opened a new chapter for this team and the League of Legends community in general.
The first team to reach the finals of three consecutive Worlds
Historically, even the powerful SKT T1 of 2015 – 2017, when they first appeared in the finals of three different Worlds, used three different lineups. The trio of players who did not change roles during that time were Faker – Bang – Wolf. However, the bottom duo of SKT T1, after 2016, saw a significant decline in performance. In contrast, T1’s current five-star lineup has shown no signs of decline as they enter each Worlds.
If T1 of 2024 can become the champion, another record awaits: ZOFGK will be the first lineup in League of Legends history and T1’s own history to successfully defend the championship.
T1 breaks the “sad record” against LCK teams at Worlds
It is quite surprising that in their championship history, since the official end of their golden age in 2017, whenever SKT T1/T1 faced an LCK team in a BO3 or BO5 match at Worlds, they always lost. This includes opponents like Damwon Gaming (2021) and DRX (2022). In 2023, T1 did not face any LCK teams from the qualifiers onward.
Gen.G had held a streak of 11 consecutive wins against T1 across all formats and tournaments. Thus, Faker and his teammates’ victory not only ended their losing streak against Gen.G but also relieved the mental pressure for T1 whenever they faced LCK teams in the knockout stages of Worlds.
Faker maintains his impressive record
Since the beginning of his career, the worst result Faker has ever had at a Worlds was reaching the semi-finals in 2019 and 2021. Otherwise, Faker has participated in 7 finals out of a total of 9 Worlds appearances, including this year. This achievement allows Faker to maintain the title of “player with the most Worlds finals appearances in history”.
Additionally, Faker is also on the verge of becoming the first (and perhaps only) player in League of Legends history to successfully defend the Worlds championship twice. Great historical pages are ready, just waiting for Faker and his teammates to write some beautiful achievements.