The plot armour remains strong, as T1 are still competing at Worlds this year.
Aside from winning multiple world championships, if there’s one thing the 
T1 League of Legends (LoL) roster are known for, it’s keeping their fans on edge. Once again, T1 have secured their Worlds 2025 ticket at the very last possible moment in the LoL Champions Korea (LCK).
T1 punched their way through with a 3–1 victory over 
Dplus KIA in the Lower Bracket Round 2 of the LCK Season Playoffs, a series capped off by a dramatic fourth game.
In the fourth match that decided it all, DPlus turned to 
Geon-hee “BeryL” Cho’s surprise pick: support Rammus, the first of its kind in the LCK. The gamble backfired. After an early roam top, Rammus was collapsed on for first blood, and Moon “Oner” Hyeon-joon’s Sylas quickly snowballed from there.
By 18 minutes, they were 10,000 gold ahead. DPlus tried to respond with a pick on Sang-hyeok “Faker” Lee's Annie and a turret, but the follow-up fight swung back to T1. From there, Atakhan, the Baron, and the final teamfight all swung in their favour.
T1 closed the series 3–1 and punched their ticket to Worlds 2025.
Why did T1 qualify at the last minute again?
Unlike last year, where the 2024 World champions struggled all summer and scraped through a five-game thriller against 
KT Rolster to make it to Worlds, T1 weren't struggling this year. So what's the reason why they only qualified now?
Stronger LCK competition
Throughout the Season, T1 performed decently, finishing third after 
Gen.G and 
Hanwha Life Esports (HLE) in the first half fo the year (Rounds 1-2), and then once again taking third in the Legend Group in the second h They even managed to finally beat Gen.G this year, a feat only a handful of teams pulled off.
That said, 2025’s LCK has been tougher than in past years. Previously, Dplus, T1 and Gen.G were often safe bets to reach the later stages. This summer, more teams rose to the challenge.
KT Rolster are one such team. They went head-to-head with the region’s juggernauts and stunned everyone by toppling MSI champions Gen.G in a five-game thriller. That 3–2 victory not only secured KT’s ticket to Worlds but also cemented them as genuine contenders.
Hanwha Life Esports are another powerhouse. With former T1 top laner and back-to-back World Champion Choi “Zeus” Woo-je, Worlds champions Park “Viper” Do-hyeon and Geon-woo “Zeka” Kim, and ex-Gen.G stars Wang-Ho “Peanut” Han and Hwan-joong “Delight” Yoo, HLE are a roster stacked with heavyweights.
They proved consistently dangerous throughout the split and underlined why the competition was fiercer than anything T1 faced in recent years.
Inconsistency remains a factor
Despite being mostly strong in 2025, T1’s other stumbling block has been their inconsistency. Some days, their drafts misfire or individual play falls flat, opening the door for challengers to step up. That volatility is why fans once again found themselves holding their breath for Faker and the rest of the roster.
The format change
Finally, this year’s playoff structure raised the stakes. In past years, teams had one last fallback through the LCK Regional Finals. In 2025, there is no such cushion. Qualification hinged entirely on the Lower Bracket Round 2.
With KT Rolster and HLE locked in from the Upper Bracket, and Gen.G already Worlds-bound as MSI champions, T1’s one and only shot was to beat Dplus. They did just that.
Now, with their Worlds ticket secured, T1 still have battles ahead if they want a higher seed. They must face Gen.G in the Lower Bracket Round 3, and potentially HLE or KT Rolster, to fight their way up the ladder before stepping onto the Worlds stage.
