Recent days have marked a tough time for both T1 players and their fans. From being an undefeated team with high hopes of reclaiming the LCK championship from Gen.G, T1 has lost 2 out of 3 matches against strong opponents who could directly compete with them in the playoffs. Notably, the loss to Gen.G showcased a lack of strength, while the defeat to Hanwha Life Esports revealed how constrained T1’s strategic execution has become. Many opinions have emerged, and it seems that the full extent of T1’s issues has yet to be uncovered.
According to recent revelations from Keria, it is clear that he himself has not fully adapted to the meta surrounding the top lane (Top – Jungle – Mid), and this is one of the significant reasons T1 is struggling. However, Keria also mentioned an interesting detail: “Riot banning Azir has caused us some issues”. As known, in patch 14.4, Riot banned Azir across all professional LoL servers worldwide. The exact reason is unknown, but many speculate it could be due to a severe bug related to the Teleport spell.
Azir is one of the best playmaking champions in LoL today. Therefore, the ban on this champion significantly affects teams. Moreover, Azir is considered a signature champion for Faker. Riot’s actions have clearly limited T1’s and Faker’s gameplay considerably.
However, it must be said that this also shows that T1 has not yet adapted as quickly as some other strong teams in the LCK. While Azir is a strong champion, being overly dependent on a couple of meta champions or revolving around certain strategies is clearly not a championship formula. Additionally, having a narrow playstyle makes it easier for opponents to “read” T1.
Expanding their playstyle is essential, as it is almost certain that Azir will be banned until the end of Spring 2024. Only then can T1 build more versatile and diverse strategies and be ready to face any opponent.