Worlds Apart: Bilibili Gaming face 4-Time Champion T1 in search for their First Worlds Title

League of Legends

31 Oct

Foo Zen-Wen

Two teams. Two contrasting legacies. T1 vs BLG. Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok is set to attend his 7th Worlds Finals. Zhuo “knight” Ding will be attending his first. On the 2nd of November, we will bear witness, one way or another, to the making of history in front of our eyes.

With a multitude of storylines, the conclusion of several narratives hanging in the balance, and an overall unmatched level of almost feverish excitement at the prospect of this grand finals conclusion, we may be set for yet another record-breaking finale to Worlds.

Without further ado, here is a breakdown of all the narratives to unfold in this Grand Finals - and potentially conclude.

T1 is on track for their 5th Worlds Trophy

To put this into perspective, no other organization in the history of League of Legends has won more than a single Worlds title (technically 2 in the case of Samsung White/Galaxy). In Faker’s first 4 years with the organization, he attended 3 Worlds - 2013, 2015, and 2016.

He won all three.

Fast forward to 2023, after a failed run in 2022 in which the seemingly unstoppable T1 was defeated in the Grand Finals by the unlikely DRX, Faker and T1 found success once again, 7 years after the last time he lifted the Summoner’s Cup, defeating Weibo Gaming to do so.

Now, in the unlikeliest of scenarios, after a dismal Summer run in which T1 very nearly failed to even qualify for Worlds, they have reached the Grand Finals once again. The back-to-back-to-back accomplishment has only ever been done once before in the history of League of Legends, and it was done by none other than SKT (2015, 2016, 2017).

Moreover, T1's run can't possibly earn any more legitimacy. They beat TES and GEN.G to get here. To win, they'll have to beat BLG. Essentially, they've had the hardest road and it only serves to make this run all the more incredible.

It is undisputed that Faker is the GOAT of League of Legends and the potential to see him widen the gap even further via his continued accomplishments would only serve to add to the mythos that is ‘Faker’.

On the flipside, there’s nothing more exciting than watching a god bleed…

Bilibili Gaming would be the first All-Chinese team to lift the Summoner’s Cup

Bilibili Gaming (BLG) also stands to forge new history by becoming the first All-Chinese roster to potentially lift the Summoner’s Cup. Historically, only 3 LPL teams have won Worlds across the 14 iterations of the tournament. They are: Invictus Gaming (IG) in 2018, FunPlus Phoenix (FPX) in 2019, and EDward Gaming (EDG) in 2021.

Unfortunately, these prior accomplishments included aid from South Korean talent. IG had Lee “Duke” Ho-seong and at the time electrifying rookie Kang “TheShy” Seung-lok. FPX had top laner Kim “GimGoon” Han-saem and the magnetic mid laner Kim “Doinb” Tae-sang. And EDG was fielding mid laner Lee “Scout” Ye-chan and ADC Park “Viper” Do-hyeon at the time.

All these prior contributions, while incredible for the individual players’ legacies and the reputation of the region, also unfortunately serves to undermine the credibility of the region’s perceived competitiveness.

If an LPL team is unable to deliver a championship title without the aid of South Korean talent, then the vocal minority will always question if the region is fully capable of standing on its own legs on the biggest stage.

Now BLG are in the finals. It’s 5 homegrown Chinese talents. And they are one series away from delivering history for their region.

Knight’s FIRST Worlds Grand Finals Appearance

Despite his longevity in the League of Legends scene, it may surprise many to know that this is the first time in his 8 year plus career that knight will grace the finals stage. He’s stepped onto the Worlds stage 4 times including this year.

In 2022, he was shockingly eliminated in the Group Stage in a group that included DRX, Rogue, and GAM Esports. Suffice to say TES was heavily favored to make it out of groups, and their failure set off a chain reaction that saw knight depart from the organization after 3 years with them.

He was also eliminated twice in the quarters, once by Suning (who went on to make the finals), and last year by T1 while knight was part of the star-studded JDG lineup.

While his Worlds track record may not be the most stellar, his domestic accomplishments speaks for itself. 5 domestic titles, 4 of which have come in the last 2 years, making him a domestic back-to-back-to-back-to-back champion, equalling Gen.G’s accomplishment earlier this year in Spring.

Coupled with his MSI victory last year, knight is very much in contention in the conversation for Best Player in the World and lifting the Summoner’s Cup on a different roster to the one he lifted the MSI trophy with, would go a long way towards making the case for him.

Moreover, what better proof can there be than to literally defeat the GOAT of LoL for your first Worlds title?

Bin is set to cement himself among the greats

Last year, the conversation between BLG and JDG was very much centered around the comparisons lane for lane. And when the topic reached the top lane, Bai “369” Jia-Hao was generally considered the best tank player, the best at playing weakside, the best overall at navigating teamfights and drawing aggression.

Chen “Bin” Ze-Bin, meanwhile, was characterized simply as the ‘aggressive’ top laner. Recognized for his skills, in the eyes of many he just didn’t reach that same level that 369 set last year.

However, in 2024, Bin has solidified himself as part of this BLG roster. Not only has he shown much improved proficiency in terms of finding impact in teamfights, he’s kept his signature aggression and lane prowess. The infamous Bin Jax angle is still a potent angle every team needs to be wary of when set to face BLG in a series.

Moreover, now Bin has added a whole slew of new champions to his arsenal, including his feared Camille, his ever solid Rumble and Gnar, and surprisingly, Kennen.

Moreover, accomplishments-wise, Bin is now in hallowed air, being one of the few players to return to the Worlds finals stage.

Should he win Worlds this year, a feat only 2 LPL top laners has ever accomplished, and one that 369 has not, Bin would certainly be in strong contention as the most accomplished top laner China has ever produced to date, as it would add to his MSI title back in 2022 as well as his triple domestic titles, completing the Triple Crown as it were.

T1 has never lost a Bo5 series to an LPL team at Worlds

Most T1 fans take this to mean that the finals result is certain, cemented, and carved and etched into rock. But let's reframe this one.

The LPL has never managed to take a Bo5 series off T1 at Worlds. Therefore, BLG has the opportunity to do what no other LPL team has ever managed to do - take down the king

It's LCK vs LPL. And everybody LOVES THOSE ODDS. Credit: Riot Games

What more fitting way to finally break that narrative, that seemingly immovable certainty, than in the Worlds Finals.

ZOFGK is on Borrowed Time

It can be said of very few rosters across all of esports history to have a roster such as T1’s current one stick around in full for as long as they have. The current lineup of Zeus, Oner, Faker, Gumayusi, and Keria was formed back at the end of 2021 when Zeus, the final piece, was moved up to the starting position on T1.

Immediately in Spring, T1 set a new record as the first team to go undefeated in a regular season, going 18-0. They capped off this momentous accomplishment by winning the LCK Spring Championship. This T1 roster in 2022 also placed 2nd at both MSI and Worlds, and finished 2nd in the Summer Championship, losing to Gen.G.

2023 onwards, the domestic results faltered slightly, including a 5th place finish in the Summer regular season, however, this was also the year that T1 won Worlds, extending their lifeline.

In 2024, this year, they’ve shown the most struggles they’ve had since their inception and yet they’ve managed to repeat their accomplishment of another grand finals appearance at Worlds, making 3.

However, with the implementation of the Salary Cap and Luxury Tax in the LCK from the 2024 season onwards, and all T1 contracts expiring at the end of the 2024 season, it is difficult to envision a sustainable and realistic future for T1 to keep hold of this core 5.

Win or Lose, this may be the end

While ZOFGK has reached an iconic status within both South Korea and the greater League of Legends esports fanbase, it only serves to continuously raise their individual and collective stock. In the off-season last year, it was already reported that Zeus, MVP of Worlds 2023, took a paycut to re-sign with T1, despite receiving incredibly high offers from other teams and regions.

Not winning Worlds would obviously go a long way towards making the argument that this roster has perhaps run its course competitively. While their international runs have continued to be largely successful, their domestic success and the increasing variance in their delivered performance levels, call into question the visible instability of the roster’s form.

Inversely, winning Worlds would perhaps make concrete the statement that T1 have in their hands, perhaps the single greatest 5-man lineup in League of Legends history, and one of, if not the most popular to boot. However, that is also a double-edged sword, as the costs of maintaining such a lineup, cannot be sustainable.

Therefore, as this T1 lineup steps up to the O2 arena stage on the 2nd of November this Saturday, it is possible that this may be the very last time we see this 5 play together. Let us cherish every second of that together.

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Featured Image Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games

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