T1 Holds a Factor That Could Be a “Double-Edged Sword”
According to the announcement on October 31 from Riot, T1 won the coin toss and earned the chance to choose the Blue side in the 2024 Worlds finals against Bilibili Gaming. Typically, this would be a significant advantage. In this year’s Worlds, specifically since the Swiss round began, the win rate for the Blue side is 57.1% – a noteworthy figure. However, it could also be a “double-edged sword” when considering the teams that have previously won the coin toss to choose sides.
Statistics from the 2020 Worlds indicate that all teams that won the coin toss for the finals subsequently faced defeat. This trend began with Suning’s SofM in 2020, followed by Damwon Gaming (2021), T1 (2022), and Weibo Gaming (2023). Notably, in the last three consecutive Worlds finals, excluding the upcoming match against BLG, T1 has had one loss and one gain from this “hex.”
Can T1 Overcome This Challenge?
It can be said that before the 2024 Worlds finals even begin, T1 has already faced challenges to overcome. Firstly, aside from SKT T1, no other team has successfully defended the championship in this tournament. Next, BLG has never lost to T1 in an international BO5 match. The coin toss only adds to the difficulties T1 is about to face.
However, T1 also has certain advantages in terms of mentality and performance, as no LPL team has ever beaten T1 in BO3 or BO5 matches at Worlds. This could serve as a good foundation, as BLG also faces considerable pressure from home fans and history. Therefore, the upcoming finals promise to be incredibly tense and thrilling until the last moment.