T1’s Poor Performance
Recently, Nongshim RedForce became the next name to join the list of “teams that have defeated T1” this season. In fact, the score of the match was even more surprising as T1 lost 0-2 in a bitter defeat while NS is a team currently at the bottom of the standings and has little chance of competing for a playoff spot in the LCK Summer 2024. Additionally, this marks T1’s seventh loss in the LCK Summer 2024 group stage, witnessing one of the seasons where T1 continues to have a streak of more than five losses in the group stage. The last time T1 faced such a record was during the LCK Summer 2023 when Faker was absent for nearly a month due to injury.
In reality, many opinions suggest that T1 would not have lost to NS if the players had performed according to their capabilities. However, there are also some pointed out issues, namely that T1 in their losses against weaker opponents this season (BNK FearX, Nongshim RedForce) did not play with the mindset of a top-tier team and also did not have consistent strategies that suited each member’s strengths.
Is T1 Too Stubborn?
No one understands why Gumayusi was the one to use Yasuo in game 1 when this champion requires a lot of resources and is highly dependent on teammates to execute devastating combos. Meanwhile, the only synergy T1 had with Yasuo was with Wukong, and NS had no difficulty in shutting down T1’s two most stable players recently. Even when Oner and Gumayusi attempted to create a breakout play (in a situation at Baron), they were powerless as a single Rocket Rain was enough for NS to isolate the two T1 players from the rest.
Additionally, there were two consecutive picks of Kennen for Zeus, while the statistics clearly show how ineffective T1’s top laner is with this champion in the Summer group stage this year. Furthermore, Kennen is currently a champion that is very easy to counter. Despite having a strong skill set, simply having an Exhaust from the opponent is enough to reduce Kennen’s effectiveness by over 50% in a teamfight. Not to mention, if the opponent positions well, Kennen can hardly achieve a Lightning Storm from two or more targets. The evidence is clear: Zeus’s Kennen could only combo to take down an Ezreal from Jiwoo, while failing to set up any truly impressive teamfight.
Clearly, T1 still maintains some tactical styles as before, instead of adapting to their opponents as they demonstrated at the 2023 World Championship. A strong T1 in recent years has never been a T1 that follows the meta; rather, they must find ways to counter those metas. No one understands why T1 continues to give Corki or Tristana (in the mid lane ADC role) to Faker when it is clear he can no longer carry the team as he used to. Or why Gumayusi has to use champions that require many conditions to be effective (like Senna) when he often has to “go solo”. Gumayusi himself has shown how outstanding he can be when using pure AD champions (Jhin, Draven, or Kalista, Caitlyn, and recently Xayah).
Including the loss to NS, this marks T1’s second defeat against a team that, when facing Faker and his teammates, is at the bottom of the standings. While it is understood that these teams are also striving and more determined than usual, T1 does not show that they are a strong team as they have often done in previous seasons. The smooth coordination and precise macro that were T1’s strengths seem to have completely disappeared when they can no longer control the game.
Being loyal to strategies, even being a bit stubborn to find effective paths is necessary. But if T1 does not play in a style that suits them, and shows no signs of changing, it could become a “double-edged sword” that costs the players dearly as the decisive phase of the season approaches.