Oner’s Controversial Statement About the Upcoming Patch
Thus, the group stage of many Summer tournaments in the League of Legends world has concluded, and some tournaments have even finished early (like VCS as an example). Besides VCS, many major and minor tournaments around the world have also passed the halfway mark of the playoffs. Specifically, in LCK, for various reasons, this tournament is still in the preparation stage for the most critical time. However, the names predicted to potentially win the title and qualify for Worlds 2024 have emerged. Among these, T1 is being rated quite highly, not inferior to Gen.G, especially considering their playoff performance over the past seasons. Even Oner had to admit: “The Spring Split and Worlds often have metas that suit us, while MSI and the Summer Split seem somewhat contradictory for us. This can lead to some fluctuations in the performance of the entire team.”
In reality, not only does T1 usually perform well in BO5 matches, but the current patch from Riot is also somewhat favorable for them. Notably, two of the champions that helped T1 clinch the 2023 Worlds title have been “buffed” back by Riot, namely Orianna and Azir.
Oner Faces Backlash
Everyone can clearly see that the upcoming updates are beneficial for T1, and for teams that tend to play around the Mid Lane. However, when Oner made such a straightforward assessment, many viewers, especially LPL fans, were quite “unhappy.” Many fans argued that Oner’s statement was tantamount to denying his efforts and those of the team, implicitly asserting that T1’s victories rely on Riot’s patch adjustments. However, T1’s jungler and his teammates will be the ones to capitalize on this patch. Therefore, Oner’s assessment may simply reflect the truth.
Furthermore, even if the patch is supportive, the crucial factor remains the players’ ability to leverage the meta effectively. T1 has never been a team that always aligns with the meta. Thus, Oner’s comments are merely his personal opinion, and T1 will likely play with strategies suited to the opponents they are about to face.