At 7:00 AM on November 6th (Vietnam time), the Grand Final of the biggest League of Legends (LoL) tournament in the world will officially commence to find the champion of the 2022 World Championship. Today, we will analyze, discuss, and predict about this incredibly exciting matchup.
Strengths of Both Teams
Before the tournament began, there were many big questions surrounding the strength of T1. Although they have a roster with high individual skills, the form of the second seed from Korea had dropped significantly during the 2022 LCK Summer Finals. At this year’s World Championship, T1 has made a strong comeback in all 5 positions, decimating every team on their path to the finals.
Unlike previous years, the playstyle of the second seed from Korea has shifted towards leveraging individual skills and map awareness (Macro), and they no longer rely too heavily on team fight compositions. By effectively utilizing these two strengths, T1’s gameplay has been devastating, as evidenced by their straightforward progression to the finals without facing much difficulty.
For DRX, the strongest point of the fourth seed from Korea lies in their soaring form. From the beginning, the global League of Legends community did not hold this team in high regard. However, with their devastating performance and strong teamwork, DRX has surged into the finals, surprising gamers worldwide. In terms of roster quality, Deft and his teammates are at a disadvantage compared to many championship contenders in the tournament.
Comparing the Strengths of the Two Teams
This year, Zeus plays a very important role in T1’s lineup, while Kingen is the weakest link in DRX. Therefore, there is a clear disparity between the two teams in the Top Lane position, especially regarding individual skills. For the Jungle position, both players possess similar skills. While Oner has slightly better individual skills than Pyosik, the DRX jungler has performed excellently in recent matches.
The most interesting matchup in the finals is in the Mid Lane position. Zeka is having a dream World Championship season, performing excellently and steadily leading DRX to the finals. He even managed to overshadow Chovy in the semifinals, becoming one of the most impressive players of the 2022 World Championship. As for Faker, the Demon King is confident in pursuing his fourth championship title, aiming to set personal records. Currently, T1’s Mid Laner still possesses strong individual skills but no longer dominates opponents as before. He has shifted his playstyle towards map control and situational reading to guide his teammates during matches.
In the Bot Lane duo, youth is the key factor helping T1 succeed. Both Gumayusi and Keria have performed excellently at the 2022 World Championship, alleviating fans’ concerns before this year’s tournament. On the other hand, Deft and Beryl have also achieved remarkable results, greatly contributing to the team’s overall playstyle.
Beryl is well-known for his situational awareness, support movement, and game sense. Meanwhile, Deft has been in phenomenal form at this year’s tournament. In team fights, the DRX AD Carry consistently deals significant damage to fulfill his assigned role. However, when the two teams face each other, T1’s Bot Lane duo is rated slightly stronger than DRX due to their superior individual skills. In League of Legends, individual skill is the primary factor affecting a team’s performance.
Match Prediction
There is an unwritten rule in League of Legends: “If you lose significantly in individual skill, no amount of diverse strategies can change the outcome.” This is particularly true for the matchup between T1 and DRX, as the second seed from the LCK is viewed as stronger than their opponent right from the laning phase. Therefore, DRX will face numerous challenges in the upcoming finals.
The biggest bright spot for the fourth seed from Korea lies in the Mid Lane position, where Zeka must create pivotal moments to support his teammates’ success. However, T1 is different from other teams that DRX has faced. Thus, Deft and his teammates need to perform at 200% of their potential to hope for a World Championship title.
Predicted Result: T1 3 – 0 DRX