2023 has truly been a rollercoaster year for T1, but it ended sweetly with the championship at Worlds 2023. This is considered one of the most exciting Worlds in the tournament’s history, showcasing a wide range of emotions. Notably, to claim the title at a tournament held on their home soil, T1 had to overcome all four teams representing the rival LPL region. This was no easy feat, especially since both JD Gaming and Bilibili Gaming had previously defeated T1 at the MSI earlier that year.
Of course, to explain this remarkable achievement, there are many factors such as the skills of the players, outstanding performances, superstar moments, tactical influences, and form… However, recently, through a mic check segment (clips of in-game communication from players) of T1 and BLG during the two finals in their respective regions, a clear difference was revealed, which could be a crucial factor that helped Faker and his teammates secure victory at Worlds 2023.
Accordingly, a post shared on social media Reddit pointed out the stark contrast in communication styles between T1 and BLG. It noted that although not fully understanding Chinese, the observer mentioned: If T1 communicates in a structured manner, BLG is quite chaotic: “Even if you don’t understand Chinese, you can clearly see that BLG’s communication is much more chaotic. Half of the clips show Xun asking his teammates to slow down. But the players obviously played very fast afterward. Most of their mistakes occurred because of this, and they should have played slower.
Meanwhile, T1 is much more disciplined. Faker acts as the voice of reason, always calming his teammates, while Gumayusi is much more assertive. They always evaluate their kill potential and which situations have less impact on the game. They call for objective management and always prepare for the next steps.”
This immediately resonated with many League of Legends fans. According to a highly upvoted comment: “T1 communicates like professional players, and their demeanor is also professional. While BLG seems like a group of friends playing games together.”
However, a clear difference can be seen: T1 relies on absolute discipline and Faker’s leadership. Some other members will perform “short calls” for specific objectives or situations, but everything is primarily led by Faker. In contrast, BLG relies on the synergy of each member and the skills and judgment of each individual player. If applied to teams with a “reckless” playstyle, heavily relying on skills, BLG could achieve absolute victories. But when facing disciplined teams with comparable skill levels, it’s understandable that BLG encounters difficulties and can be easily defeated.
In the upcoming MSI 2024, BLG and T1 will likely maintain their characteristic play styles. Therefore, many fans are eagerly anticipating the clash between the two teams once again on this stage, to find out whether disciplined and consistent gameplay will prevail or if the current top-skilled players of League of Legends will emerge victorious.