South Korean esports organisation T1 has had a historic season within the League of Legends Championship Korea (LCK). The long-time organisation has efficiently completed the 2022 Spring Break up with a record-breaking 18-0 file. The earlier file, 15-0, was held by T1’s 2015 iteration.
The frequent thread between the 2? Lee ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok. However the story of T1’s success is as a lot a narrative in regards to the organisation as it’s in regards to the best League of Legends participant of all time.
T1 has been some of the constant organisations within the LCK, and this yr they’ve taken it to a brand new degree. The introduction of a number of rookies that developed via the T1 Challenger group has introduced an already profitable T1 group to new heights. The additions of Choi ‘Zeus’ Woo-je, Moon ‘Oner’ Hyeon-joon and Lee ‘Gumayusi’ Min-hyeong to the principle roster mixed the best League of Legends participant of all time with a number of the most mechanically gifted gamers on this planet.
The South Korean large began their LCK run this cut up with a clear 2-0 sweep in opposition to the Kwangdong Freecs. However they encountered their first bump within the street with defeat to Fredit BRION. T1 completed the best-of-three sequence 2-1 and was capable of conclude the primary week with an ideal file. The second week of the cut up was a lot of the identical, besides this time T1 did not drop a recreation in opposition to DRX or Liiv Sandbox.
Within the third week, T1 was confronted with two sturdy groups forward of them. Nongshim RedForce had a 3-1 file coming into the week, and T1’s second opponents, DWG Kia, have been enjoying within the League of Legends World Championship Grand Finals just some months prior. Nongshim RedForce fought valiantly in opposition to T1, however with a secured Mountain Soul, T1 was capable of outfight RedForce and handed them their second lack of the season.
T1’s sequence in opposition to DWG Kia went to all three video games, however Kim ‘Canyon’ Geon-bu’s Gwen wasn’t sturdy sufficient to overpower the carry potential of Gumayushi’s Caitlyn within the ultimate recreation. T1’s file remained untarnished and so they went into week 4 with a 6-0 file.
Week 4 was one other check for T1 as they confronted one of many few groups that would actually problem them within the league, Gen.G. Though they have been the second-place group within the LCK with a 5-1 file, T1 have been capable of sweep them within the sequence. A flank within the Baron pit with Gumayushi’s wall-jumping Zeri secured one other 2-0 victory for T1.
Faker in opposition to T1’s cut up rivals, Gen.G
© League of Legends Champions Korea LCK Flickr/Riot Video games
The victory was additionally Faker’s 1,000th recreation performed as an expert, which he celebrated by making a gift of 400 bins of fried hen to each T1 followers and members of the press in attendance on the post-game press convention.
From weeks six to seven, T1 did not drop a single recreation. They went 4-0 within the sequence, together with one other sweep in opposition to Gen.G, the second-place group within the league. Extra importantly, T1’s win in opposition to KT Rolster in week seven tied their very own file that the group set in 2015, profitable 14 sequence in a row.
The subsequent recreation in week eight noticed T1 etch their names into LCK historical past by beating KT Rolster. A 3rd recreation was wanted to safe the feat, although, with Faker utilizing Void Seeker to dominate from lengthy vary, whereas Gumayusi’s Jinx dealt out constant injury.
After their win in opposition to KT Rolster, T1 solely continued their trajectory. A 2-0 sweep in opposition to Fredit BRION and one other victory in opposition to Liiv SANDBOX introduced the group to the cusp of one other historic second.
T1 solely wanted to win yet one more sequence in opposition to DRX to safe an undefeated season, a feat that hadn’t been achieved within the historical past of the LCK. T1 took the primary recreation in dominant trend, speeding to the Cloud Soul win situation in a sub-30 minute recreation. The second recreation noticed extra of the identical as Keria’s Nautilus discovered openings in each lane. A bush gank at high, a dive backside – T1 did not give DRX any house as they cemented their spot on the high of the LCK and within the historical past books.
The event that T1 has invested into their rookies has lastly come to bear fruit. With the expertise and management of the best participant of all time, T1 look to enter the Playoffs in high kind, prepared to complete this historic season with one other LCK championship of their trophy case.