Recently, it’s clear that fans of T1 have not been satisfied. According to statistics, during the four consecutive domestic seasons with Faker in the lineup, T1 lost 6 matches in the group stage. But since Faker has been absent for almost a month, T1 has lost 7 matches, including 5 consecutive losses, including the recent match against KT Rolster. No one could have imagined that T1 could slide so quickly without Faker.
Currently, as the biggest tournaments in the League of Legends scene are entering the playoff stage, many renowned experts and casters have begun to make their assessments and analyses for the upcoming World Championship (Worlds 2023). Many share the opinion that: LCK this Summer is somewhat at a disadvantage compared to their arch-rival LPL. Recently, caster Caedrel made a specific comparison regarding the current strength of the two regions.
According to Coach Caedrel: “If I had to point out the 5 strongest teams in the world right now, it would be 4 teams from LPL and KT Rolster. I can’t include Gen.G in this list, while T1 is as you can see. Even if Worlds 2023 started right now, it would be 4 LPL teams in the Semifinals. However, the 8 teams participating in the Knockout stage could be 4 LPL teams, 3 LCK teams, and 1 team from Europe.”
Indeed, at this moment, LPL seems to be superior to LCK, both in terms of the performance of the teams. Since MSI 2023, both JD Gaming and Bilibili Gaming have maintained good form. In fact, BLG has even performed better than their own Spring 2023 results, finishing at the top of the Summer group stage. Meanwhile, in the LCK, T1 has plummeted without Faker while Gen.G just had their winning streak cut by KT. Dplus KIA has also been inconsistent over many recent seasons.
However, it will be difficult to use Summer performance to evaluate the teams’ displays at Worlds. Moreover, the largest international tournament in the League of Legends scene will be at a different level. And there, anything can happen, as fans have witnessed GAM Esports defeating Top Esports or the miraculous journey of DRX last year. Therefore, it’s hard to predict anything, especially when LCK teams always know how to assert their class on this international stage.