In the two consecutive World Championships (2022 and 2023), the teams that won the championship surprised fans of League of Legends worldwide to some extent. While DRX’s journey was considered “miraculous”, T1‘s was even more dramatic. At one point, when Faker was injured, they could even lose to weaker opponents like DRX or Fredit BRION. However, Faker returned, and T1 participated in two finals (LCK and Worlds), becoming the new kings of the League of Legends scene after defeating Weibo Gaming.
On the journey to the Worlds championship, both teams share some similarities, as both DRX and T1 had to defeat many opponents from the LPL. They also had to face Gen.G at least once and both possessed top-tier Supports and volatile Top Laners during their championship runs. Notably, DRX – T1 was also the matchup in the 2022 Worlds final, a time when, perhaps aside from the most optimistic DRX fans, no one could have imagined that the Worlds championship would slip from the grasp of Faker and his teammates.
Recently, fans discovered another commonality between T1 and DRX. Specifically, in the Worlds season in which these two teams won, they both finished the domestic league (LCK Summer) with a 9-9 record (9 wins – 9 losses) in the group stage. Moreover, in their most crucial moments, both T1 and DRX had to face KT Rolster. However, the significance of the DRX – KT match was slightly higher, as the losing team would not get another chance. Meanwhile, the T1 – KT match had a loser’s bracket behind it.
Both DRX (left) and T1 had a 9-9 record when finishing the LCK Summer group stage in the year they won Worlds
Although it may just be a coincidence, for many fans, this can be seen as a “winning formula” for teams participating in Worlds. However, both DRX and T1 ascended through the skill and talent of their players. The surrounding factors may just add to the brilliance of their glorious victories.