Gaming
Gaming
T1 dominate the LCK Playoffs after undefeated season for 10th championship
T1 continued their record-breaking regular season by dominating the LCK Playoffs, dropping only a single game on their road to victory. Here's how they completed this incredible feat.
The story of the year in the League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) has been T1's dominant and historic winning streak. The long-established South Korean organisation have gone undefeated throughout the regular season, setting a new record in the LCK. Built with Lee 'Faker' Sang-hyeok at its centre, alongside superstar rookies the likes of Ryu 'Keria' Min-seok – the LCK regular season MVP – Lee 'Gumayusi' Min-hyeong and Choi 'Zeus' Woo-je, the squad took apart every opponent that faced them in a truly unprecedented performance.
T1 have had a record-breaking regular season, but before the team were able to crown themselves the winners of the LCK, they had to go through the LCK Playoffs. In their path? Kwangdong Freecs and Gen.G, the fifth and second seeds respectively after the regular season. Gen.G in particular were a combination of some of the best veterans that the LCK has ever seen, with talents such as Jeong 'Chovy' Ji-hoon and Han 'Peanut' Wang-ho. Despite being faced with these challenges, T1 were able to handily win the Playoffs and secure their 10th LCK title.
T1 dominate Kwangdong Freecs
T1's 10th title began with a bye from the first round. Their first opponent would be Kwangdong Freecs, the fifth-seed team from the LCK regular season. T1 only dropped a single game against them in the regular season and swept their semi-final series.
The first game started off strong with an early gank from Moon 'Oner' Hyeon-joon's Lee Sin on Yoo 'FATE' Su-hyeok's Viktor. FATE attempted to push in a wave into Faker's Ahri and was caught out, handing first blood to T1. With a Rift Herald in their hands a few minutes later, T1 were able to split the map with Zeus's Jayce bottom, Faker's Ahri top and the rest of the team mid, eventually accruing a 3,000 gold lead at 20 minutes. A Baron fight a few minutes later showed the amazing team fighting that T1 have been known for since the start of the season, and the game was over a few minutes later.
The second game was more of the same. Despite Kwangdong Freec's best efforts to dive T1's bottom lane early, Keria showed why he deserved the Spring Split MVP, as he managed to take both Kwangdong Freec's jungle and support while trading Gumayusi's Jinx. The new factor in game two was Oner's Nocturne, using Paranoia to eliminate Kwangdong Freec's vision at a Rift Herald fight to gain T1 an early advantage. By the 19-minute mark, T1 were already knocking on the front door of Kwangdong Freec's base – the game was soon over with nary a Baron buff or Dragon Soul in sight for T1.
The third game seemed like groundhog day, as T1 did more of the same – an early gank top side, into a Rift Herald fight where T1 completely dominated. Despite some signs of life from Kwangdong Freecs, T1 held the gold advantage from the three-minute mark and never let it go. One sneaky Baron later, T1 once again pushed into Kwangdong's base and ended the series in a 3-0 sweep.
T1 trump in-season rivals Gen.G for LCK Championship
T1 began the grand finals with a statement, drafting an aggressive, early-game composition that relied on Caitlyn and Lux getting a lead bot lane. Gen.G were able to hold onto their lanes and T1 entered a mid-game for the first time this Playoffs even with another team. At the 24-minute mark, a beautiful Realm Warp teleported T1's entire team behind Gen.G as they were finishing a Baron, forcing Gen.G to run away – T1 caught every straggler for an ace and the first real advantage of the game. A later engagement for an Infernal Drake allowed T1 to win another team fight and eventually end the first game to lead the grand finals 1-0.
The second game of the grand finals would be the only game that Gen.G would take. The game went back and forth between both teams, but ultimately, it was Park 'Ruler' Jae-hyuk's Xayah that handed T1 their first loss of the postseason.
But their first loss of the entirety of Spring didn't knock T1's confidence, who came back swinging in the third game. Oner's Viego was focused on giving Zeus's Jayce an early lead, while on the other side of the map, Gumayusi's Jinx was slowly powering up. Despite Gen.G having a three Dragon lead against T1, the regular season champs were able to continuously pick off Chovy's LeBlanc. The game would remain on a knife's edge for the next 10 minutes. T1 would break an inhibitor, Gen.G stole a Baron. It all culminated in a final Baron fight where Gumayusi's scaling would pay dividends as he got reset after reset, winning T1 a crucial third game.
T1 were at match point, and they came out of the gates in game four ready to put the final nail in Gen.G's coffin. T1 started the game like any other – Oner ganking top to gain Zeus an advantage, looking to shut down Gen.G's Akshan. On the other side of the map, Keria's Thresh culled any attempts from Peanut's Lee Sin to gain an advantage in the bot lane. Gen.G would get their first kill at 14 minutes in, while T1 were already leading with six. With a 16-3 score in T1's favour, they took Baron with no problems. T1 pushed in one inhibitor, then another and another. A few minutes later, they were taking down Gen.G's Nexus turrets and with it, any opposition to their dominant season.
Oner was given Finals MVP for his fantastic performance and T1 were given the LCK trophy for the 10th time. Every year, the legacy of the team grows, but Spring Split 2022 will always be one to be remembered.
