Perhaps many T1 fans still remember, during the Summer Split of 2021, this team went through one of the most difficult periods in its history. At that time, T1 was led by the coaching duo of Daeny and Zefa – figures who had brought Damwon Gaming to the top of the world. However, due to their unsuitable training methods, and Coach Daeny frequently criticizing, implying that Faker was the reason for the team’s decline, the internal situation at T1 became even more chaotic.
This ultimately led to a conclusion: T1 became the first team in the history of professional League of Legends in Korea to “change coaches mid-season.” Notably, after that, T1’s performance improved dramatically, culminating in a third-place finish at the World Championship that same year.
Notably, during that year’s Summer Split, T1 also finished the first half of the group stage with 4 losses and only 1 win. That was also the last time until before the Summer Split 2024 that T1 had such a poor performance. In fact, many fans believed that if T1 had not changed coaches in time that year, it would have been very likely that the team would not have even competed for a spot at the World Championship. And after the loss to BNK FearX, that forgettable “record” has once again been recreated. Things worsened as T1 suffered a humiliating defeat against Hanwha Life Esports in the first round of matches for Faker and his teammates.
Many viewers express concern for the T1 players, especially Coach KkOma. Previously, Coach Daeny and Coach Zefa had to leave for T1 to find their own path. However, Coach KkOma has a completely different stature and influence compared to the former DWG coaches. The “Mother Bear” is associated with the golden era of SKT T1, and he is always respected by T1 fans as well as by the players themselves, especially by Faker. Therefore, the possibility that the coach will continue his tenure remains, and T1 needs to find a more positive way to solve the problem rather than resorting to “coach cutting.”
Currently, T1 still has many opportunities to improve their position. Nevertheless, the “storm clouds” may not have cleared yet as T1 will soon face a series of tough opponents, with the “telecommunication battle” against KT Rolster being the first challenge.