Entering the match against the domestic champion in their “mountain climbing” journey, and perhaps the most “manageable” opponent T1 could face for the rest of MSI 2024, T1 was highly favored, and this was understandable. However, TL clearly did not show themselves as an easy opponent. In fact, there were moments in Game 2 when TL seemed poised to secure a victory. If T1 hadn’t possessed the Elder Dragon, it might have been Faker’s squad that faced defeat.
However, ultimately, the most important goal was achieved, which was a clean victory without forcing T1 to reveal all their strategies. Moreover, in this match, T1 executed the lane swapping meta thoroughly and gradually showed some degree of effectiveness. There were only a few moments when they seemed a bit “clumsy,” but the superior skills of the players helped T1 navigate through the tough phase to establish dominance. In fact, in the game where TL equalized, T1 essentially lost because they lacked the damage to take down TL’s tank line.
In the post-match statement, Gumayusi also had to admit the biggest issue with T1 right now: “In this meta, the lane swapping weakens T1, and the meta is not suitable for us. T1 has been a strong team in lanes, but this lane swapping makes our ‘win lane, win game’ playstyle no longer viable because teams avoid going to lanes with us. Therefore, we are really struggling with the current meta and are still trying to adapt to it.”
What Gumayusi admits is bitter but true. T1 is currently indeed a weakened version of themselves and they are trying to adapt to the frustrating lane swapping meta. The pressure of the title with the short journey of MSI also prevents T1 from always being able to choose “off-meta” champions to experiment with. Consequently, T1’s strategy has become constrained and less effective, especially against teams willing to create surprises.
But all in all, T1’s journey in the tower climb has had a promising start. G2 will be even stronger than TL, and undoubtedly, T1 cannot underestimate the LEC representatives, especially when they are riding high after their devastating victory over the LPL runner-up to secure their advancement in this MSI.