As we know, T1 achieved a resounding victory against LNG Esports in the final quarter-final match of the 2023 World Championship (Worlds). Before the match, the LCK representative was even deemed “underdog” by many LPL fans. Many argued that LNG was showing a strong “LCK” quality and was on par with JD Gaming. Meanwhile, T1 had yet to establish absolute trust. Nonetheless, T1 secured a “clean” victory with a score of 3-0, dominating all three games against the Korean representatives.
Notably, in this match, T1’s bot lane showcased exceptionally interesting and effective picks that need no debate. The duo of Gumayusi – Keria truly gave LNG a headache as they struggled to figure out how many champions they needed to ban to counter the vast champion pool of these two players. This playstyle was what helped T1 dominate thoroughly in Spring 2022. At the same time, T1’s top lane also made effective choices, even if they initially seemed mismatched, such as Azir – Poppy in the decisive game 3.
In fact, T1’s draft even puzzled the experts. After the ban phase in game 3, renowned commentator LS immediately stated on his personal page: “These are the worst choices T1 made today. And for the first time in this series, they seem to be falling behind. It’s strange to ban Caitlyn in the second round and then choose the bizarre combo of Poppy – Azir.”
However, it is clear that these picks provided T1 with significant advantages leading to their victory. Oner’s Poppy even solo killed Tarzan’s Sejuani early in the game. The enthusiasm and effectiveness of Poppy in Oner’s hands were entirely different from his typical performance in the LCK. But viewers felt that the commentator was too hasty in declaring T1’s draft ineffective.
Of course, executing combos can be challenging. But if T1 players perform to their potential, even out-meta matchups shouldn’t pose a problem for them. And perhaps no one can forget that T1 dominated LCK in Spring 2022 by drafting systematically but with a rich variety of picks that surprised both their opponents and the audience alike.