Thus, T1’s journey at MSI 2024 will be a bit longer, as they just suffered defeat against Bilibili Gaming in a match where the LCK representatives clearly showed significant disadvantages. The only bright spot was perhaps the second game, where they made meta-appropriate choices and gained an early advantage right from the laning phase. Of course, BLG is not a weak team, and they actively forced T1 to make mistakes. But clearly, T1 lost in a match where they performed significantly worse than their opponent multiple times.
For teams like T1, whether they win or lose, there are many issues to dissect, and this crushing defeat against BLG is no exception. From psychological factors, to performance in the match, and especially from the picks and bans phase, everything can become a topic of discussion until at least T1’s next match (they will face Team Liquid in the lower bracket). But regardless of any factors, there is one undeniable reality: T1 has been too stubborn in certain situations.
Specifically, on his streaming channel, Wolf – the legendary Support closely associated with the most successful period of SKT T1 and part of the roster that brought the team its first MSI championship, was blunt: “Why are they so obsessed with Twisted Fate? What is it about TF that fuels their passion so intensely? They could play other champions just as well!”
Indeed, Twisted Fate Top can be strong in anyone’s hands, but it has never been effective when used by Zeus. This champion not only conflicts with the playstyle that Zeus excels at, but is also too easy to counter. Opponents can immediately predict the strategy to be applied upon seeing Twisted Fate and then devise countermeasures. Perhaps only Gen.G is truly good at using this champion, as they have Chovy and Canyon, one of the best Jungle-Mid duos in the world, forcing opposing teams to divert their focus away from TF.
But T1 is not like that now, as Oner has yet to show he has regained his form since winning the 2023 World Championship. Meanwhile, Zeus is also struggling with his performances, and he only excels when using Zac or K’Sante – champions that are “200 years”. Clearly, this is not the right roster to entrust Zeus with the Twisted Fate champion.
T1 loses for many reasons, but one of them is the stubbornness with certain picks and bans. At the 2022 World Championship, they “regretted” not banning Aatrox. And surely, no T1 fan wants history to repeat itself in a different direction due to their obsession with an ineffective champion like Twisted Fate.