On January 30 (Vietnam time), it was also the final day of the LCK Spring 2022 before officially entering the Lunar New Year break. On this match day, the spotlight that the entire LoL community paid attention to was the clash between T1 and DWG KIA – the most storied matchup in the LCK and the wider LoL scene in recent years. Especially, the duel between Faker and ShowMaker received the most attention as these two players represent two consecutive generations of the LCK.
On one side is T1, mostly composed of young players from the 10x generation, with Faker being the oldest and the team’s leader. On the other side, DK has recently undergone a major roster overhaul during the offseason of the 2021 season. This matchup was also considered highly unpredictable. Despite DK’s fluctuating form, they managed to give Gen.G Esports a hard time to get past them. Meanwhile, T1 was sitting comfortably at the top of the standings before this match.
The gameplay in all three games unfolded exactly as the audience expected, filled with surprises, unexpected elements, crazy plays, maximum strategy, and superstar moments. As a result, T1 managed to overcome DK in a match where the better team won by capitalizing on the very small mistakes of their opponents.
Notably, once again, similar to the match against Nongshim RedForce, “Demon King” Faker shone in the deciding match with a champion that is considered his “specialty” – LeBlanc. Undoubtedly one of the best LeBlanc players in the world, Faker caused not only the LoL Park stadium to explode but also made the entire LoL community “go wild” on social media. Even T1’s president, Joe Marsh, couldn’t help but exclaim: “This is the Faker of old!”
However, we cannot forget to commend the other members of T1, especially the bot duo Gumayusi – Keria. While in game 2, Keria showcased his usual exceptional Thresh play, in game 3, Gumayusi easily “pocketed” deokdam. In the final minutes of the match, Gumayusi even surpassed the DK ADC by over 100 CS and one major item. Thanks to Gumayusi’s “CS hacking” ability, T1 had the quality damage needed in the decisive phase of the game.
On the other hand, many fans also believe that DK lost with their heads held high as they delivered an extraordinary match alongside T1. In particular, Canyon’s performance was highly praised. However, many fans also argue that if Canyon had not made the ridiculous dive into the enemy’s turret in game 3, the outcome could have been very different.
Through the match against DK, it is evident that T1 possesses many factors to become the champion of the LCK Spring 2022, from resilience to individual skill, and team coordination. Although their upcoming opponents will not be easy, Faker will continue to be their support as he and his teammates conquer all challenges on the road to the title this season in 2022.