Early eliminated from the Playoffs race, Hanwha Life Esports still bears an important mission as they enter the final week of LCK Summer 2021 – taking down T1. The match between T1 and HLE would hold great significance in determining the current top 2 in the LCK, meaning it would decide which two teams advance directly to the Playoffs semifinals.
Therefore, T1 had no reason to give up, however, on a day when HLE “lost themselves”, Deft and Chovy showed that the team they once feared every time they faced off, had to become an unwilling practice dummy with a 2-0 victory.
The most notable highlight of this matchup was the clash in the mid lane, where Faker and Chovy went head-to-head, alongside the duel in the bot lane between Deft and Gumayusi, especially as the young marksman from T1 had just given a very confident interview stating that he and his teammate Keria deserved to be recognized as the top bot lane duo in the world right now.
The result was that T1 was thoroughly defeated in both positions. Faker was completely outplayed by Chovy in both games, while Gumayusi was no better, being overwhelmed by Deft in the bot lane. Even when fights broke out, T1’s marksman’s contributions were negligible compared to his veteran opponent.
This loss also nearly extinguished T1’s chances of making it to the top 2, while also revealing the limitations in this team’s gameplay. To seek a ticket to the 2021 World Championship, Faker and his teammates will certainly have to improve significantly in the upcoming Playoffs phase.