T1 secures their spot in the Worlds final once again, this time facing off against Weibo Gaming in an epic LPL versus LCK showdown. In the semifinals against JD Gaming, T1 showcased their dominance by dictating the meta, particularly in the bot lane. They emerged victorious with a 3-1 score, avenging their loss to JDG at MSI 2023. With the stakes higher than ever, T1 emerged as the victors in the single-elimination playoffs bracket.
In their semifinal match against JDG, T1 displayed their versatility by introducing non-meta picks right from the start. Gumayusi surprised everyone by picking Jhin, a champion that had not been seen in the competition before, and paired it with Bard in the bot lane. They also utilized Aatrox and Rell, champions that Zeus and Oner excelled on in the quarterfinals. Keria’s exceptional use of portals and ultimates proved crucial, especially during objective fights. In the late game, a well-timed Tempered Fate on JDG’s jungler, Kanavi, sealed the deal for T1.
Although JDG managed to win one game in the series, it was a hard-fought battle. T1 made their presence known early on with a successful invade, gaining an early advantage. Despite JDG’s strong scaling into the late game with their favored Caitlyn and Ashe bot lane, MISSING showcased his skills on Senna, a champion he hadn’t played in the tournament before. Combined with Ruler’s Kalista, JDG scaled well and disrupted T1’s formation.
In game three, JDG seemed to have control in the late game with a Baron buff, minion advantage, and a gold lead. However, Faker’s incredible ultimate-flash play on Azir turned the tides in T1’s favor. By closing the gap on Ruler’s Varus and predicting his flash, Faker secured a crucial team fight win for T1. This moment shattered JDG’s confidence, and they never fully recovered.
In game four, T1 countered JDG’s Aatrox pick with their own counter-pick, Yone for Zeus. Despite having only played Yone once before in LCK Spring 2023 resulting in a loss, Zeus dominated his lane against 369, consistently out-farming him and making JDG struggle in team fights. Under immense pressure, JDG’s royal road dream came to an end as they succumbed to T1 in just 31 minutes.
Throughout T1’s history, they have never lost a best-of-five series against an LPL team at Worlds, a record that remains intact. The Worlds 2023 final will be the ultimate test as they face the fourth and final LPL squad after defeating Bilibili Gaming, LNG Esports, and JD Gaming.
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Table: T1 vs. JD Gaming Semifinals
| Game | Time | Score |
|——|——|——-|
| 1 | 34:12| 1-0 |
| 2 | 38:45| 1-1 |
| 3 | 30:18| 2-1 |
| 4 | 31:54| 3-1 |
Source: ONEESPORTS
