After their defeat against Gen.G, T1 quickly regained the trust of their fans with a 2-0 victory in the clash against Dplus KIA (DK). Just when it seemed that Faker and his teammates would carry this momentum forward, they were unexpectedly doused with cold water by Hanwha Life Esports (HLE). Despite their efforts, the reigning world champions managed to secure only one game win against HLE and ultimately lost with a score of 1-2.
It’s important to note that before defeating T1, HLE was often underrated by fans concerning the race for the LCK Spring 2024 title. This was due to their comprehensive losses against Gen.G and T1 in previous weeks. Therefore, the recent victory over T1 holds immense significance and boosts HLE players’ confidence immensely.
In fact, Zeka even shared that the HLE team understood how to defeat T1. “T1 is a very strong team in creating variables and making opponents follow their playstyle. Therefore, we told each other not to try to guess what the opponent (T1) would do, let’s focus on our own game first. We know that this is truly the best way to defeat T1,” Zeka revealed after the match.
Indeed, the gameplay of this team recently revolves around creating breakthroughs and exploiting opponents’ mistakes. Even the choice of special Support champions like Ezreal, Ornn… by Keria is to serve this playstyle. Once they pull opponents to play the way they want, this team can win easily.
However, with strong opponents like Gen.G and HLE recognizing this and avoiding those “variables”, the reigning world champions have faced some bitter defeats. This was particularly evident in Game 3 of the match between HLE and T1 when Zeka and his teammates strictly adhered to the Smolder protection strategy. Even when they attempted to attack, HLE did not get drawn into risky skirmishes.
Moreover, the impacts from Riot in patch 14.4 have significantly reduced the ability to create breakthroughs from champions that fit T1 players like Bard, Kalista, or Varus. Keria himself admitted after the match that T1 is currently struggling to assess the power of champions in the new patch. This has limited T1’s greatest strengths and caused the team difficulties in adapting.
With the victory against T1, HLE has now tied with this opponent on the LCK Spring 2024 standings. If Zeka and his teammates can continue to realize their goal of defeating T1 in the upcoming playoffs, HLE will have a significant chance to compete for the LCK Spring 2024 title.