by In one of the most highly anticipated matchups of the year, South Korean League of Legends powerhouses T1 and Gen.G clashed in the 2024 LoL Worlds semifinals.
With a coveted spot in the grand final at stake, T1 emerged triumphant with a 3-1 series victory, breaking a streak of 10 consecutive losses to Gen.G and securing their third straight appearance in the World Championship final.
They now prepare to face China’s Bilibili Gaming (BLG), aiming for a second consecutive Worlds title.
WELCOME TO THE #WORLDS2024 FINAL, @T1LOL! pic.twitter.com/9Pa6HoP9Kc
— LoL Esports (@lolesports) October 27, 2024
The rivalry between T1 and Gen.G is one of the most storied in LoL history, dating back to 2020.
Gen.G had dominated the rivalry since mid-2022, consistently besting T1 in major matches, including a 3-2 win in the 2023 LCK Spring Finals and their first international title at the Mid-Season Invitational.
Domestically, Gen.G continued to hold the upper hand throughout 2024, winning all their encounters against T1.
Both teams entered Worlds 2024 in strong form.
Gen.G went undefeated in the Swiss Stage, while T1 finished with a 3-1 record.
In the quarterfinals, T1 convincingly swept the LPL’s Top Esports 3-0, while Gen.G narrowly edged past FlyQuest from the LCS, 3-2.
The semifinal series kicked off with Gen.G faltering on early game dives, which T1 capitalised on by applying pressure across the map.
Despite some resilient skirmishing from Gen.G, T1 secured a crucial Baron and ultimately closed out the 30-minute game with an 11-6 kill lead.
Game two saw Gen.G bounce back, establishing early control with key kills in the laning phase.
They maintained their advantage, shutting down T1’s scaling efforts and winning the game decisively with a 12-1 kill score after 27 minutes.
Game three was pivotal, with both teams opting for aggressive, high-damage compositions.
Although Gen.G took an early lead by catching out T1’s top laner, Choi “Zeus” Woo-je, T1 quickly regained momentum through successive team fight victories and superior map control.
The game ended in T1’s favour after a 31-minute skirmish, with a dominant 20-3 kill lead, placing them at match point.
In the final game, T1 took the initiative once more, with support Ryu “Keria” Min-seok making crucial plays that slowed down Gen.G’s jungle pressure.
T1 methodically dismantled Gen.G’s defences, amassing a significant gold lead.
Gen.G briefly rallied by winning a team fight at the dragon pit, which allowed them to secure the Baron and equalise the gold disparity.
However, as the Baron buff expired, Gen.G’s misstep in the mid-lane handed T1 the opportunity to win a decisive fight, sealing the game after 33 minutes with a 15-9 kill lead.
This victory marked T1’s first series win over Gen.G in 2024, an emphatic statement that ended Gen.G’s season and sent them packing in third-fourth place with a $178,000 prize.
The win also underscored a remarkable turnaround for T1, who had come into Worlds as the LCK fourth seed and were just one game away from failing to qualify for the tournament.
Now, T1 stands on the brink of history.
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2024FAKER. ?? pic.twitter.com/CGLLxMD51n
— LoL Esports (@lolesports) October 27, 2024
With a record-setting seventh grand final appearance, legendary mid-laner Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok seeks his fifth Worlds title, a feat unmatched in the sport.
His first victory was in 2013, and 11 years later, he continues to defy the passage of time, embodying T1’s legacy as the past, present, and future of competitive League of Legends.
As T1 faces off against BLG in the grand final, they carry the weight of a storied history and the hopes of an entire region.
For Faker and T1, the goal is clear: to lift the Summoner’s Cup once again and reaffirm their place as the greatest team in League of Legends history.
