T1’s efforts went down the drain after a wrong decision
In the regional qualifiers, with the advantage in points and position after the conclusion of the LCK Summer Playoffs 2024, T1 had the advantage that they only needed to win one more match to secure a spot at Worlds 2024. This task was not difficult, as Dplus KIA had never won against T1 in their full roster since Worlds 2021. However, on a day when the T1 players made it hard for themselves, DK successfully “broke the curse” of losing to T1. ShowMaker and his teammates dragged the match to game 5 and convincingly defeated T1.
However, to be fair, the T1 players themselves made many costly mistakes during the decisive game, causing the match to flip from favorable to unfavorable for them. Notably, a situation involving Zeus in the Top Lane fight, after T1 had taken down Moham, caused T1 to miss their timing. Even though he was caught by Lillia’s “Dream Dust,” Zeus still had all his skills and Flash available. However, he decided to turn back and charge straight into the enemy team. This mistake by Zeus forced T1 to regroup and ultimately turned a win into a loss in the fight.
T1 Under Intense Doubt
This defeat is truly a painful slap in the face for T1, as the opponent is a team they have always beaten in the past, even when their performance has been at rock bottom. However, on a day with better macro play and fewer mistakes, DK made T1 pay dearly in a way that couldn’t be more bitter, as they missed a great opportunity to secure a spot at Worlds 2024.
In fact, T1 still has a match against BNK FearX/KT Rolster, but both of these teams also have unpredictable playstyles. Another defeat, and T1 will become the former champion even before they start their journey to defend their title at Worlds 2024. But that risk is looming large, especially after what T1 has shown against DK recently.