With about a week left before the Worlds Play-In stage begins, IG players were recently spotted in Korea by several fans. Latest reports reveal that Rookie personally confirmed IG is training in the LCK. However, who they are training with remains unknown. Rumors say it might be GEN, but this is doubtful since Faker has been streaming frequently lately, and GEN seems to still be on break and not yet preparing seriously.

After the Play-In ended, TheShy, who hadn’t played ranked for 12 days, suddenly restarted ranked games and played an ARAM to regain his touch. After that, he went 2 wins and 2 losses in four ranked games. Judging by his record, his form doesn’t seem as strong as expected. The other four teammates have been consistently playing ranked recently. Wei has been practicing jungle carries like Qiyana and Lillia intensely, but it’s uncertain if he will dare to use them in the Play-In matches.

With the Top 17 battle approaching, IG’s opponent T1 has returned from break and started preparing. They even held a fan meeting where Gumayusi publicly said: if we lose three games, everyone will go home, so we must win. A few days ago, they were heavily defeated, but at the fan meeting, they comforted the fans directly. It seems even the “Great Egg” has a “great personality.” However, the key to this match lies in the mid-jungle matchup.

The current meta favors aggressive fighting. In the mid-jungle duel between IG and T1, whoever gains the advantage will most likely determine the outcome. Under the global banning and picking system, Faker’s champion pool clearly outmatches Rookie’s. Recently, a netizen shared Faker’s career champion win rates. Let’s take a look at how the veteran Lee Sang-hyeok’s win rates stand after over a decade of pro play.

Faker has five champions with over 30 appearances and a win rate of 70% or higher. His highest is LeBlanc with 48 games and a 79% win rate, followed by Lissandra with 39 games and 77%. Next is Orianna with 81 games and 74%, and finally Azir and Viktor, both with a 70% win rate. Azir has been played 183 times, while Viktor only 56. Except for Galio, all other champions have a win rate above 60%.

Galio has been played 67 times by Faker but holds only a 57% win rate, ranking lowest among his top ten most played champions. Considering this, RNG’s decision to prioritize Galio back then seems reasonable. Compared to his other champions, Galio’s win rate is notably low. In this Worlds meta, both Azir and Orianna have been nerfed, which might be good news for IG.

However, IG probably can’t afford to ban Galio this year because Camille will receive a significant buff next patch, and Hecarim remains very popular in the jungle. Both champions synergize well with Galio, making it tough to deal with if released. Although two of Faker’s signature champions have been nerfed, their priority will definitely drop, easing some pressure on IG. If Rookie is in good form, the mid lane matchup should be fairly even, leaving the jungle duel to decide the rest.

Wei’s performance in the playoffs and Play-Ins has been mediocre, while Oner has been carrying T1 throughout the playoffs. In jungle matchups, Wei might be at a disadvantage. But no one really knows IG’s current condition; maybe their recent LCK training has helped them regain form. If they can learn some strategies to counter T1, they might still have a chance. For now, it’s better to believe before doubting.

Conclusion:

Rookie has faced Faker only five times in their careers. Early on, in a BO3, Rookie swept Faker 2-0, but afterwards, they have only met in BO1s, with Rookie winning 3 of 4 matches. Overall, Rookie leads 5 wins to 1 loss in small matches. This year’s Play-In will be their first BO5 encounter. Faker has never lost a BO5 against LPL teams at Worlds. It remains to be seen if IG can make history.

So, what do you think? How do you rate Rookie versus Faker?

Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments!