Entering their first match at the Swiss round of the World Championship (Worlds) 2023, T1 and Team Liquid naturally aimed for the highest goal of victory. The TL lineup can be considered a “mini LCK” as 4 out of 5 players are Korean. Meanwhile, T1, as always, fielded their strongest roster. In fact, T1 was particularly confident as they banned and picked a rather “unusual” composition for this tournament with Jayce Top for Zeus, and an unconventional bot lane of Ashe – Renata instead of strong AD champions.
With a slight advantage in the laning phase, Pyosik’s unpredictability made T1 sweat, especially when they lost the second Baron fight of the match. However, in the most crucial team fight, T1 performed excellently. Faker and his teammates secured a hard-fought victory in their opening day. As for TL, they suffered a disappointing defeat, but if they perform well in the remaining two matches, the LCS representatives will still be a formidable name.
Watching T1 struggle, many international fans felt disappointed. Some even claimed: “T1 really cannot compete for the title at Worlds 2023 if they continue to play like this.” Notably, Oner had a noticeably lackluster performance compared to Pyosik. In several situations, he failed to read the movements of the TL jungler and protect his teammates.
However, it is clear that T1 throughout the match never allowed TL to gain any significant advantage. With their “strange” composition, T1 maintained a good position. Notably, during the first Rift Herald and first Baron, TL could not effectively capitalize on these buffs, if not to say they completely failed.
It is too early to determine whether T1 can win or compete for the title at Worlds 2023. But the victory is enough for them to be satisfied, and Faker and his teammates will likely continue to explore fresh strategies. As for TL, hope is still alive, and surely the other opponents of the LCS representative will need to study carefully to find ways to counter Pyosik.