The recent rematch between T1 and BLG was worthy of the lower bracket finals of MSI 2024, as both teams put on an extremely thrilling display. It is unfortunate for T1 that in the decisive game, BLG pulled off some “magical” plays to secure the victory. This marks the second consecutive time that T1 has faced this situation at MSI, as they were also eliminated by BLG in the lower bracket finals of the 2023 tournament.
Fairly speaking, both teams demonstrated formidable strength in this match. Therefore, although BLG emerged as the final victor, it is hard to rate T1 significantly lower than their LPL counterparts. However, it was the LPL fan community that did the unbelievable by rating T1 “absurdly low” in the recent match.
Clearly, for the viewers watching the match, the scoring mentioned above is hard to accept. Agreeing that BLG won in the end, T1 also had performances that were not far inferior to those of the LPL representatives. Even when looking at the Mid Lane position, Knight was rated much higher than Faker, yet the actual performance did not reflect this.
Indeed, looking at the actual match, Faker and T1 do not deserve such low scores. Moreover, other individuals like Oner, Zeus… also had many brilliant moments in this series. Thus, rating T1 so low is extremely unreasonable from the LPL fan community.
Remember at the 2023 World Championship, T1 had a memorable journey as they continuously eliminated LPL representatives to claim the championship. Perhaps for this reason, LPL fans always find a way to “downvote” Faker and his teammates whenever possible. And the narrow loss to BLG mentioned above is a perfect excuse for LPL fans to do so.
Of course, no matter how low they are rated, it doesn’t significantly affect T1. They still have specific goals such as conquering the LCK Summer 2024 title or defending their World Championship crown. MSI 2024, while seen as a failed tournament for T1, also provides them with valuable experience to aim for greater objectives in the remainder of the season.