Facing KT Rolster in the “Telecom Showdown” is both a challenge for T1 and an opportunity for Faker and his teammates to reclaim their image. Moreover, avenging KT becomes even more important as they are the team that bitterly defeated T1 on the day the most decorated team in LCK opened their first-ever home venue in LCK history. A victory against KT also helps T1 maintain their position on the LCK Summer 2024 leaderboard, especially since BNK FearX had won earlier. And T1 did not disappoint the audience in the rematch against KT in LCK Summer 2024.
No longer is there a weak and weary image of T1, but instead a T1 that played tightly and boldly. Of course, KT is not a weak opponent, and their “unusual” picks were effective in game 2. However, in game 3, T1 had a very strong Bottom Lane combo. Combined with Oner’s effectiveness, T1 faced little difficulty in maximizing their advantages into a win.
However, according to the audience, the most important factor that helped T1 win was: They accepted to play boldly, not completely relying on the meta but finding ways to counter their opponents with their own favored picks. For those who may not know, this is the winning formula for T1 at the 2023 World Championship, where they were the only team with an almost perfect win rate whenever they chose the Red side (usually the side that counters the opponent).
In game 2, as usual, T1 could have easily claimed victory, but KT’s surprising “unusual” pick caused T1’s players to be momentarily flustered. And when returning with the Blue side, T1 did not hesitate to pick the strongest champions available. KT also showed that they tried to break T1, but the famous Caitlyn – Lux combo from the duo of Gumayusi – Keria was simply too strong.
Just with changes stemming from mentality and draft phases, T1 successfully resolved the second strongest opponent in their journey towards a playoff spot. Currently, T1’s position is still uncertain, but the victory against KT could be the foundation for T1 to aim for more favorable results in the near future.