The match where fans felt only 3 T1 players truly performed
Facing an opponent that has been performing quite well since the start of the 2025 Regular Seasons like Nongshim RedForce, difficulties for T1 were predictable. However, no one expected T1 to struggle so much against an opponent they had consistently dominated in previous seasons. In fact, without the outstanding performances from Faker and Oner, as well as Keria in both winning games, T1 could have faced a 0-2 loss against a direct competitor for the leaderboard position.
Of course, since the drama began, most attention has been focused on Smash’s position, and in reality, it cannot be said that this player performed well during the match against NS. Particularly in game 1, there were two crucial moments that led to Zeri being taken down without contributing anything in team fights, putting T1 on the brink of defeat. But there is one player who was even less noticeable than Smash, and that is Doran.
It could even be said that if Doran had used any champion other than a pure tank like Sion in game 3, he might have continued to be a weak point for NS to exploit fully.
On many forums, quite a few fans expressed their “bitter” feelings, stating that it seems only 3 T1 players are truly performing at their full potential, namely Faker – Oner – Keria. It can be said that the first game was dominated by Faker’s performance, while the decisive third game was due to Keria’s exceptional coverage.
T1 cannot continuously rely on Faker or Keria
With an opponent that is not consistently strong like NS, Faker can carry the game, or the unpredictable playstyle of Oner – Keria can turn them into heroes. But if the opponent is HLE, Gen.G, or DK, this is almost impossible. HLE has clearly shown T1 how they can dominate them in the present.
If T1 continues to rely on the performance of a playmaker, or the Jungle and Support roles – positions that are very difficult to impact towards the end of the game, they may pay a heavy price, especially with the upcoming MSI phase.