T1 Falls Short of 3-Peat as BLG Ends Three-Year Dynasty

The semifinals held at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center in Allen, Texas, saw the end of an unprecedented streak. T1, making their 11th appearance at Worlds, once again proved their consistency by reaching the semifinals—extending their record of reaching at least the semifinals in every single tournament they have ever attended. Their path to the knockout stage included victories over LOS, CFO, and Movistar KOI during the Swiss Stage, followed by a 3-1 triumph over Karmine Corp in the quarterfinals.

BLG Overcomes the 'Worlds DNA'

Bilibili Gaming (BLG) entered the series with a clear motivation: they had lost all three of their previous encounters against T1 at Worlds. For 'knight', who witnessed Faker's carry performance during the 2024 Worlds Finals, the match was a long-awaited opportunity for redemption. Ultimately, BLG's execution proved superior to T1's legendary 'Worlds DNA.' The duo of 'knight' and 'Viper' Park Do-hyeon exerted immense pressure, supported by the precise playmaking of 'ON.' Meanwhile, 'Xun' provided critical assistance to 'Bin,' effectively securing BLG's win conditions throughout the series.

In contrast, T1 struggled to resolve the underlying instability that has plagued their performance throughout the current season. The team's primary bot lane duo was significantly outplayed by the 'Viper-ON' duo, stripping T1 of their core strength. While 'Faker' Lee Sang-hyeok delivered a heroic performance on Syndra to salvage a single game, the weight of the series proved too much for him to carry alone against the coordinated BLG roster.

A New Chapter for Worlds

For the first time in five years, the Worlds final will take place without T1. The championship match will instead feature Gen.G, who has maintained top-tier form, against the victors of the T1 vs. BLG matchup. As T1's dynasty concludes, the question remains: which team will define this new era of League of Legends history?