Just between Spring 2022 and Spring 2023, T1 has reached 5 finals. For any team, this is an enviable achievement. However, if the team in question is T1, merely reaching the finals is not enough. The goal of Faker and his teammates is singular: championship.
Yet, the championship has consistently eluded T1 since MSI 2022. The match against Royal Never Give Up (RNG) marked the first final, kicking off a string of 4 consecutive final defeats for T1. The opponents may have changed (RNG, Gen.G, DRX), but T1 has not been able to secure a win. In fact, Faker and his teammates have even lost by significant margins.
There are many reasons to explain T1’s defeats, but over time, these reasons have gradually become untenable. It can be said that the T1 players (except for Faker) are lacking in international experience, but after MSI 2023, they lost domestically twice, both times to Gen.G. At the 2022 Worlds, they lost to DRX – an opponent always seen as a “point farm” for T1 in the LCK.
Recently, on his personal streaming channel, Gumayusi spoke out about T1’s current situation and explained his determination to win alongside T1 in the upcoming tournaments. Specifically, Gumayusi stated: “Right now, I am also very confused. Twice when it seemed certain we would win, we failed both times. I can only say that I really want to win a championship with this roster and to play together, to meet everyone fully. Because if we don’t win the championship, everything might truly come to an end.”
However, Gumayusi’s remarks may implicitly suggest a split if T1 continues to “fall short at the gates of heaven” once again. Currently, T1 has the MSI 2023 tournament ahead to strive for, and it may very well be the last opportunity for the current T1 members to compete together in one jersey.