LPL Fans Celebrate as T1 Falls
On January 16, the reigning world champions – T1 had their opening match at the LCK Cup 2025 against a challenging opponent named DK. Although rated higher before the match, T1 disappointed with several mistakes during the game. As a result, they suffered a regrettable defeat with a score of 1-2 against DK in the season opener.
For both the fans and the T1 team, this start was clearly not smooth at all. However, their sadness turned into joy for many LPL viewers who were extremely excited after Faker and his teammates’ defeat. In particular, Doran faced a lot of ridicule from the LPL fans who claimed he played poorly. Some fans were even optimistic enough to think about the Worlds championship for the LPL region as soon as T1 did not meet expectations.
It’s Still Too Early to Undermine T1 this Season
In recent years, T1 has often been the one to cause despair for LPL fans. In the last two Worlds tournaments, they defeated LPL representatives to claim the championship, extinguishing the hopes of fans in this region. Therefore, T1’s unsatisfactory start is an incredibly positive sign for LPL fans as this region’s most formidable opponent seems to be weakening.
However, it is still too early to assess T1’s true strength as they have only played one match at the LCK Cup 2025. Essentially, League of Legends in the 2025 season has many changes to map objectives, so top teams need time to adapt. And indeed, the match showed that T1 has not fully caught up with the rhythm of the new season, making their defeat to DK quite understandable.
This season is still long ahead, and T1 has plenty of time to improve their performance and find the optimal strategy. Remember, during the LCK Summer 2024 stage, T1 also showed a very inconsistent face and only entered that year’s Worlds as the fourth seed. However, when they hit the big stage, T1’s resilience was fully displayed, and they claimed a prestigious championship. Therefore, fans undermining T1 after just one match may be quite mistaken. As long as they find their rhythm and understand the new season better, T1 could soon regain their winning streak and even continue to bring despair to LPL representatives in the future.