T1 is gearing up for its fourth historic win at the League of Legends World Championship.
The 2023 League of Legends World Championship, held in Korea for the first time in five years, saw T1, the second seed from LCK, secure their spot in the finals by defeating the top seed from LPL, JD Gaming, 3-1. Among the four LCK teams that participated in the round of 16, three made it to the quarterfinals. However, both Gen.G and KT Rolster fell short, leaving T1 the only team to advance through the quarterfinals.
T1 and player ‘Faker’ Lee Sang-hyeok, who have won the Summoner’s Cup the most times in 2013, 2015, and 2016.
After winning the 2016 World Championship, T1 reached the finals in 2017 and 2022 but lost to Samsung Galaxy and DRX, respectively. The team is determined to lift the Summoner’s Cup for the first time in six years.
This World Championship holds significant meaning for ‘Faker’ Lee Sang-hyeok, who is in his 11th year as a mid laner. Over the past 11 years, Sang-hyeok, who has been known as the ‘T1 Man,’ has been praised for his exceptional play in this tournament, signaling another peak in his career.
If he wins this World Championship, Sang-hyeok will be the only player in the world to have won the championship four times. The only other player to have won the World Championship three times is ‘Bengi’ Bae Seong-woong, who played alongside Sang-hyeok.
In a media day interview ahead of the World Championship finals on the 15th, Sang-hyeok said, “I’ve seized a rare and precious opportunity by making it to the finals in a World Championship held in Korea for the first time. I believe we can achieve good results in the finals because our entire team is growing.”
T1’s opponent, WeiBo Gaming, has had a tough journey but has been demonstrating experienced gameplay throughout the best-of-five series. Despite a tough climb from the Swiss stage with a 2-2 record, WeiBo Gaming crushed North America’s (LCS) top seed NRG Esports 3-0 in the quarterfinals and overpowered the LPL’s second seed Bilibili Gaming in a full set battle to reach the finals.
WeiBo Gaming is composed of players and a coach who have already experienced victory in international tournaments, and they have shown their strength in this World Championship. Top laner ‘TheShy’ Kang Seung-lok won the 2018 World Championship with Invictus Gaming by defeating Fnatic, and support ‘Crisp’ Liu Qing-Song lifted the Summoner’s Cup in 2019 with FunPlus Phoenix by defeating G2 Esports.
Mid laner ‘XiaoHu’ Li Yuan-Hao has won the MSI three times with Royal Never Give Up. The team’s coach, Yang Dae-in, won the championship in 2020 as a coach for DAMWON Gaming and reached the finals in 2021 as a strategic analyst. In 2022, Coach Yang led DAMWON KIA to the quarterfinals and has now led WeiBo Gaming to the finals.
The showdown between the two teams’ mid laners, ‘Faker’ Lee Sang-hyeok and ‘XiaoHu’ Li Yuan-Hao, is also garnering attention.
Sang-hyeok holds the title of a three-time World Championship winner, while Yuan-Hao is the only player to have won the MSI three times.
The two players have frequently encountered each other in international tournaments, having played a total of 28 matches (based on sets), including five best-of-five series and seven single-game matches. In the best-of-five series, Sang-hyeok leads with four wins and one loss. In 2016, Sang-hyeok’s T1 won 3-1 in the MSI semifinals and also in the World Championship quarterfinals. In 2017, T1 met in the World Championship semifinals and won 3-2, but in the 2022 MSI finals held in Busan, Yuan-Hao’s Royal Never Give Up won 3-2. In the same year, T1 won 3-0 in the World Championship quarterfinals.
T1 has never lost a best-of-five series against an LPL team in the World Championship. In the 2013 finals, T1 defeated Royal Club 3-0, and in the 2016 quarterfinals, 2017 semifinals, and 2022 quarterfinals, T1 defeated Royal Never Give Up. In the 2022 semifinals, T1 defeated JD Gaming 3-1 and has continued a seven-game winning streak against the LPL in the best-of-five series, defeating LNG Gaming in the quarterfinals and JD Gaming in the semifinals of this World Championship. If Sang-hyeok defeats Yuan-Hao, who he currently leads in overall head-to-head record, and continues the winning streak against the LPL, T1’s fourth victory will be confirmed.
Meanwhile, T1’s debut at the World Championship in Korea and its subsequent sweep of Chinese teams to reach the finals have caused a surge in fan interest. In response, Riot Games Korea will hold a street cheering event for the World Championship finals at Gwanghwamun Square on the 19th. A large stage has been set up at the six-way intersection of Gwanghwamun Square, allowing up to 5,000 fans to cheer together, with entrance on a first-come, first-served basis.
CGV, which has previously screened the LCK and MSI, is also preparing to welcome fans by significantly increasing the number of theaters for the World Championship finals between T1 and WeiBo Gaming. CGV has prepared over 100 theaters and 20,000 seats across 43 locations nationwide, and ticket sales, which began on the 15th (Wednesday), are on the verge of selling out.
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