T1 Exposes a Limitation of the LCK
Recently, the group stage matches of the LCK 2025 Rounds 3-5 concluded with results largely in line with the expectations of the League of Legends community, as most highly-rated teams advanced to the playoffs. Meanwhile, some familiar names like DK and NS will have to compete in the Play-In stage first. However, there were also disappointments and controversies, as well as discussions about T1 finishing in third place, behind HLE, despite both teams having identical win-loss records, with T1 losing out on the tiebreaker.
However, this has sparked considerable debate. Many argue that if the LCK continued as in previous years, meaning separating the results of the two phases, then T1 would likely have secured second place. One argument presented is that HLE did not win any matches against Gen.G or T1 in Rounds 3-5. Their second-place finish stemmed from two factors: Gen.G performed well against T1 despite having already qualified for the playoffs, and T1 essentially “self-sabotaged”.
Moreover, according to some players, they had to compete in more matches even though the group was split, resulting in a more congested schedule for some teams. This also significantly impacted the performance of the teams.
The LCK Needs Change but T1 Missed Their Opportunity
However, while the LCK’s format is not yet 100% complete, it must be said that T1 essentially shot themselves in the foot after their disastrous loss to KT. In that match, T1 failed to secure even a single game win, which could have kept their top 2 hopes alive. After the loss to KT, many T1 fans likely realized that they had almost lost their second place, even if they later won against HLE.
Furthermore, the results in Rounds 1-2 were indeed instances of T1’s “self-sabotage” as they had opportunities but lost to weaker teams, as well as struggling against stronger opponents. If we blame HLE for “losing continuously but still benefiting” or the LCK’s problematic format, we must also acknowledge that T1’s own inconsistencies and performance issues were the main reasons they finished the group stage lower than expected.