Entering the first match against a tough opponent like Bilibili Gaming, T1 was not highly rated. Not to mention, Faker and his teammates were not in good form after just losing to KT Rolster a few days ago. Additionally, history was in favor of BLG as the LPL representative had won against T1 2 out of 3 times in their previous encounters since 2023. However, it was T1’s appearance that proved, the more they were doubted, the more they showed their ability to overcome adversity. This time was no exception for Faker and his teammates.
T1 took the lead after the first game concluded. Following that, T1 dominated the LPL representative in game 3 after suffering a crushing defeat in game 2. In fact, game 3 showcased T1’s resilience as they allowed their opponent to take a significant lead during the laning phase. But with just 2 team fights, T1 regained all the advantages. BLG could only regret having many advantages but failing to translate them into an overwhelming game to secure victory. Players like Zeus, Gumayusi, and Faker simply seized the opportunities and ‘sent’ the LPL representative back home.
However, the biggest change that T1 made in their 2 winning games was, first, allowing Gumayusi to play as a true AD carry with champions that are genuinely AD, such as Kai’Sa and Jhin. In both games with these true marksman champions, Gumayusi simply dominated. Even though his Jhin is traditionally a marksman: needing time to become strong and lacking mobility. The second factor is that T1 boldly made unconventional bans and picks. For example, giving Kai’Sa to Gumayusi or Zeus’s Zeri in the Top Lane was incredibly effective in game 1.
This victory for T1 not only helps the team advance but also eliminates a very strong contender for the EWC 2024 championship. Although it is just an unofficial tournament under Riot’s system, based on what has happened, it can be said that this tournament still receives significant attention from the League of Legends community, and therefore, T1 is determined to claim the title as a springboard when returning to LCK Summer 2024.