Faker Helps Make the Loss to HLE Less Severe
As we know, T1 was defeated by Hanwha Life Esports in the lower bracket finals of the LCK Summer Playoffs 2024, forcing them to compete in the regional qualifiers to keep their hopes of reaching the 2024 World Championship alive. In reality, Faker and his teammates only need one win in the regional qualifiers to secure their spot at Worlds immediately. The loss to HLE was not unexpected for many, as the team known as the “Orange Gen.G” has shown they are indeed very strong. However, from another perspective, the defeat to HLE is not entirely a disaster for T1.
Specifically, as revealed in a documentary clip about T1, it has been shown that Faker is actually suffering from a serious injury, even worse than what was disclosed at the end of 2023 or the beginning of 2024. Therefore, from a positive perspective, T1’s loss to HLE might “help” Faker gain some additional rest time and avoid playing two best-of-five matches back-to-back within just two days. Of course, this will force T1 to compete in the regional qualifiers with a maximum of two matches, but if Faker can rest for a while after a tense match, it will be better for the T1 mid-laner’s injury.
Faker and Teammates Can Break the “Curse” of Regional Qualifiers
Moreover, falling to the regional qualifiers is another opportunity for T1 to break the “curse” that has haunted the team since it was known as SKT T1. Faker and his teammates have often not had good results whenever they drop into the regional qualifiers. In their previous two attempts, T1 was unable to reach Worlds. On their journey to conquer titles since the current T1 roster was formed, Faker and his teammates have broken many records or precedents that existed in the League of Legends scene before. Therefore, ending the “ghost” known as the “regional qualifiers” could also be seen as a psychological success for T1 players before Worlds begins.
Losing a match is something no one wants, but in T1’s case, one loss to HLE does not completely end their season. And in adversity, many fans are certainly hoping for the champion’s resilience to rise again and help T1 overcome difficulties just as they did in the 2023 season.