At the League of Legends Worlds Championship, T1 emerged victorious by defeating Weibo Gaming 3-0 in the Grand Final to claim their fourth global championship. In the finals, T1 just seemed to be a step ahead of their rivals, winning every map with relative ease by playing their cards perfectly and timing their actions. T1 was the home favorite at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, South Korea.
The three other teams that advanced that far in the competition were all from the Chinese LPL league, making this team the only one from the region to reach the semifinals. In the playoff stage, they defeated LNG Esports and JD Gaming with a 3-0 and 3-1 scoreline to advance to the final. With T1 defeating so many Chinese teams at Worlds, they have silenced their doubters as many people outside of Korea thought the Chinese teams would win the competition.
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T1 Defeat Weibo Gaming To Win LoL Worlds 2023
With the victory, the T1 organization lifted its fourth World title since 2016. Since then, the organization made it to two finals but has lost each of them, most notably a heartbreaking 3-2 loss against DRX last year. Although they are always a threat, there was a strong possibility they wouldn't even advance to the Worlds Championship this year due to an injury suffered by prominent player Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok in the middle of the season. With T1's victory, the legendary midlaner continues to grow his League and esports legacy and solidify his place in the list of the greatest players ever. After winning, he remarked:
I am just happy I got to play in front of such a big audience, I'm thankful I get to play on stage, regardless of who we play with.
Hailed as the Michael Jordan of esports, Faker is currently 27 years old and the oldest player to win the League of Legends Worlds championship. In the esport-centric nation of South Korea, he is a celebrity and is treated like a star when he makes public appearances. T1 was hoping to make a strong comeback after last year's loss in the San Francisco final by winning this global title after a strong run, and that hope has been realized.
Tens of millions watch League each year, making it the most popular esport in the world. Riot Games announced on Sunday that Britain will host the 2024 Worlds championship with the final being held at London's O2 Arena.