JDG was the team many favored to win Worlds 2023, with them being set up for the very first Golden Road in competitive League of Legends history. However, T1 defied the odds in what was a fairly one-sided Semifinal series.
2023 hasn’t been kind to T1. 2022 saw them breaking records and dominating domestically, and, though the run had its fair share of ups and downs, they looked really good up until they lost to DRX at Worlds 2022.
Now, even after T1 had one of its worst loss streaks in the organization’s history in Summer 2023 and have had to claw their way back from the dip caused by Faker’s injury, they’re back in the same position as 2023.
Despite JDG handily winning MSI 2023, T1 flipped the script and have made it to the Worlds 2023 Grand Finals in a year that has felt incredibly LPL-dominant.
T1 stop JDG’s Golden Road with a decisive Worlds 2023 BO5 win
JDG is one of the most star-studded and expensive rosters in League of Legends history. The team put together the absolute best talent the LPL had to offer with Ruler, a player who hadn’t switched teams in years and took a chance on joining the LPL.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
He revealed that he considered retiring in an interview with Dexerto, but that he decided to keep playing and go for another World title. And, while he still may be one of the best players in the world, he wasn’t able to outpace Gumayusi and Faker.
Though they hit a slight speedbump in Game 2, T1 ran through JDG in this series. It was much more one-sided than most expected, with T1 dictating the pace of almost every single game.
WHAT JUST HAPPENED #Worlds2023 pic.twitter.com/pfuFBnDPma
— LoL Esports (@lolesports) November 12, 2023
With the crowd behind them in Korea, T1 truly felt like the historic organization they’ve proven themselves to be time and time again. They’re in peak form going into the Grand Finals.
Now, all they have to do is close it out against Weibo Gaming. It’s been 7 years since Faker got a title, with the team surrounding him never earning an international title before. With there being a possibility that this T1 roster goes their separate ways after this year, it’s now or never if they want to top off one of the best rosters in League of Legends history with a title befitting their legacy.
