T1 Ends Multiple “Curses” in MSI History
Recently, T1 triumphed over AL in a tense BO5 match to secure a spot in the MSI 2025 finals, facing off against Gen.G and turning this year’s final in Vancouver into an LCK showcase. Notably, this victory came from the stellar performances of all five members in each game. Furthermore, it can be said that the psychological burden on T1 has been lifted as they also concluded a series of unfortunate milestones in their history of participating in Riot’s second biggest international tournament.
With the victory against AL, this marks the first time since the OFGK lineup emerged in the professional League of Legends scene that T1 has managed to win against an LPL representative in a BO5 match in the lower bracket finals. Because of this factor, leading up to the match against AL, many viewers expressed skepticism and believed that T1 would lose by a narrow margin. Especially with the duo of Shanks and Tarzan performing at a high level and likely to exploit Faker’s position continuously.
Next, T1 has, for the first time in history, enabled LCK to have an all-Korean final at MSI. Until now, if any LCK team reached the finals, the opponents were always from other regions. Only in 2024, when Riot changed the format, did two LCK representatives participate in the tournament. However, T1, having not adapted to the meta changes, had a rather disappointing MSI experience.
Finally, Doran has also achieved his first MSI finals in his career. After Chovy and Lehends, Doran is the third player from the old Griffin roster to reach this milestone. Notably, he was previously thought unlikely to succeed at T1.
T1 – Gen.G Will Be a Must-Watch
With what has been demonstrated in the winner’s finals, expectations are high for this rematch to be even more intense, as T1 seeks revenge while Gen.G aims to defend its MSI championship against a long-standing rival. Whichever team comes out on top, the League of Legends community can look forward to a thrilling showdown down to the very last minute.