T1 – KT: Not Just a “Telecom Showdown” but Also a “Fateful Connection”
If at the beginning of the 2025 season, or even during Rounds 3-5 of the LCK, there was any opinion suggesting that T1 – KT would recreate the “telecom showdown” for the first time at Worlds 2025, it would almost certainly receive “backlash” from the community. But that has now become a reality. And it can be said that this is a battle between two teams that have many fateful connections in the professional League of Legends scene.
First of all, it relates to Faker. Perhaps for the League of Legends community, no one is unfamiliar with the story that both T1 and KT once showed interest in Faker. But when Faker asked for a PC, KT needed to go through the approval process to provide the equipment, while Coach KkOma was ready to spend his own money to buy Faker a personal computer. The story that followed became a legend as well as a part of League of Legends history.
Next, alongside the “telecom showdowns,” the personnel of KT and SKT T1/T1 have also transferred back and forth a number of times. For example, Mata – the current coach of T1, once wore the KT jersey just before moving to SKT T1. At the same time, when Mata was with KT, it was also the decline phase of the mighty SKT T1 empire. Or currently, Cuzz from KT is one of the last players to leave the T1 empire before the ZOFGK lineup was finalized, which is now OFGK.
And for those who don’t know, Cuzz is also one of the players who had to stay home to make room for Oner to attend Worlds 2021. If Cuzz had been able to go with T1 that year, he wouldn’t have to wait until 2025 for his first appearance in the semifinals of a Worlds tournament. And in T1’s lineup, Doran is also a former player of KT.
At the same time, Bdd and Peter from KT are also “hardcore fans” of Faker and Gumayusi. Bdd has openly shared his desire to ask for Faker’s phone number multiple times. Meanwhile, Gumayusi is one of the inspirations for Peter’s determination to become a top-tier player.
The T1 – KT Battle Will Be Extremely Exciting
Besides the significance of the Worlds finals, the clash between T1 and KT is also a confrontation of fateful connections, of the successive generations in the history of League of Legends in general and LCK in particular. And regardless of which team ultimately emerges victorious, it will be a well-deserved achievement after all the efforts both teams have put in during the past season.