T1 completed a comeback from 2-0 down to 3-2, with Faker advancing to the finals once again! Peyz made a crucial play in a dire situation, but DK fell just short.

Greetings to all LPL fans and League of Legends summoners, welcome to Tianxia Game Report.

The Korean KeSPA Cup recently featured a decisive match for the finals ticket between DK and T1, with the victor set to challenge HLE in the championship.

In the end, T1 managed to reverse the situation after losing the first two games, winning three straight to advance to the finals.

T1 started off poorly but rallied strongly later.

T1’s performance in this BO5 was quite off from the start. In game one, Faker made a major mistake by not buying the Tear of the Goddess, then was solo killed twice by ShowMaker’s LeBlanc. DK dominated the pace, with a top lane attack yielding a 3-for-0 exchange, and by 20 minutes they secured a team wipe at the dragon pit.

Editor’s note

DK closed out the match in just 26 minutes, with Peyz underperforming and being suppressed by T1’s bottom lane player Smash.

In game two, Peyz’s Yuumi delivered an impressive 1v3 double kill. Despite a tense early game, T1 suddenly collapsed again, suffering a team wipe at 24 minutes, effectively losing the match’s suspense.

In game three, T1 fought back. Peyz picked his signature Bard, immediately making an impact by helping T1 control the tempo. Paired with Caitlyn in the bot lane, Peyz farmed excellently and scored two quadrakills to secure a win. However, Doran’s poor performance and critical errors in the last two fights drew criticism from viewers.

Editor’s note

Unexpectedly, Doran exploded in game four, achieving a double kill on Udyr at 8 minutes to give the team an advantage. At 15 minutes, T1’s team fight resulted in a clean sweep, leveling the series at 2-2.

T1 completes the comeback from 0-2 down, with Faker returning to the finals.

In the deciding game, the match mirrored the overall BO5 pattern. DK pushed T1 to the brink, but just when everyone thought T1 would lose, they launched a decisive counterattack team fight, winning convincingly and taking control to complete the comeback.

Siwoo chose Renekton in the fifth game and at a crucial 16-minute skirmish helped DK secure a 1-for-3 trade. ShowMaker’s mid lane Ahri then exploded, leading a sweeping team fight that wiped T1’s squad.

DK had an economic lead as high as 9,000 gold in this game, but unexpectedly, Peyz’s Kalista turned the tide with a four-kill team fight, wiping out DK and equalizing the match.

The main issue for DK in that fight was their scattered formation. Their support was caught and killed early, followed by Lucid’s Qiyana diving in and dying instantly, meaning two deaths at the start of the fight. This allowed Kalista to freely roam and dominate, leveling the game.

Afterwards, DK’s attempt to instantly kill Kalista failed. T1 counterattacked, trading one for four and securing the Baron. In the final defense at the base, DK was forced into a desperate fight and ultimately lost the match.

KeSPA Cup’s signature roaming style, T1 opts for aggressive poke tactics.

Personally, I’d describe this KeSPA Cup match as bizarre. T1’s form fluctuated wildly between brilliance and chaos. Their absurd performance in the first two games made viewers question if it was really Faker and T1 playing, but in the last three games, T1 realized the situation and decisively took control, even overturning a 9,000 gold deficit.

The reason for this outcome is partly due to DK’s evident weaknesses in overall strength, giving opportunities in advantageous situations, and partly because T1’s form was highly inconsistent — seeming uncommitted at first, then suddenly fully engaged.

Public opinion outside the game also swung dramatically, with T1’s critics dominating discourse when they were behind, peaking when T1 led by 9,000 gold in the final game, then plunging down like a rollercoaster to the lowest point.

One can only say that current T1 provides great entertainment. It will be interesting to see how they perform against HLE. Previously, T1 lost to HLE in a BO3, but now in a BO5, whether Faker and T1 can avenge that loss remains to be seen. Personally, if T1 plays seriously, I believe they have a better chance of winning the final than HLE.