Recently, many fans have posed a question: “Is SKT T1/T1 truly successful when they have been empty-handed on the international stage for nearly 8 years?” It is true that since their World Championship victory in 2016, SKT T1/T1 has dominated domestically. However, for a long time now, the championship cups from MSI and World Championship have avoided Faker and his teammates. Previous failures could be attributed to strong opponents. But the loss at the 2022 World Championship is inexcusable when DRX has always been T1’s “favorite prey” in domestic competitions.
“Is the issue with Faker or T1?” is a question that has sparked debate among fans. Since 2017, SKT T1/T1 has changed many lineups, but success on the international stage still eludes them. However, when they decided to take a different direction (temporarily sidelining Faker), T1 immediately became a “headless snake.” Thus, it can be understood that the real issue lies with T1’s younger members. They lack the competitive spirit and champion mentality that their predecessors had.
Looking at the T1 youth team, the last season they dominated the Challengers League was when coach Bengi was still in the lineup alongside stars like Roach and Berserker… Last Summer, the T1 youth team could only finish 4th overall and at one point fell to the bottom of the rankings. When Poby was promoted to the main team, despite facing weak opponents like DRX, T1 suffered two defeats. Clearly, in terms of skills, young players like Gumayusi, Oner, or Zeus are “unmatched.” However, their mentality tends to crumble at crucial moments.
The psychological issue is an aspect that needs to be cultivated over time, starting from when they were still names competing in the academy. Therefore, while T1’s model may still produce “big-handed” players, in reality, they only possess the “courage of a mouse.” And once they lose Faker, not to mention international competitions, even in the LCK, they could simply be an average team.
Stepping onto the international stage, every match is incredibly important, especially when entering the knockout stage. The 2022 World Championship witnessed one of the moments that will go down in League of Legends history, when Faker was stunned to see Keria collapse at the table, crying uncontrollably. T1 understands why they failed, and surely, Faker does not want to miss another opportunity, especially when the gateway to heaven is right before their eyes.