T1 Only Has One Path Left
After the round-robin match against Gen.G in the 2025 Regular Season, those who stated that T1 would be the rival of Hanwha Life Esports for the battle of the top 2 spots in the standings, and after that, to qualify for MSI 2025, may encounter not a few failures, is quite realistic. However, currently, the situation is unfolding differently. T1 is showing a strong resurgence while their opponent is showing instability. Meanwhile, HLE is experiencing a “disappointing” phase during the final stage of the league. These two factors make the battle for the top 2 after Gen.G particularly “heated”.
Recently, there have been discussions about the possibility that T1 could defeat both HLE and NS with a score of 2-0 in the final week of the league. If HLE can win their final match (against BNK FearX) with a score of 2-0, both teams will be tied in terms of win-loss records. At that point, the race for the top 2 will be even more intense.
However, for those who may not know, this scenario has occurred several times in League of Legends history, although it has become rare in recent years. For instance, in the 2020 Spring Split of LCK, T1, Gen.G, and DRX all finished with a record of 14-4 at the end of the round-robin. Nevertheless, DRX ended up in 3rd place due to their inferior win-loss ratio.
Still, T1 only has one path left, which is to win both of their remaining matches with a score of 2-0. However, the mistakes made earlier in the season, along with a streak of poor performance against the teams in the early stages, have led to more disastrous consequences than expected. However, T1 must also ensure to achieve the best results for themselves before hoping that other teams will stumble.
The T1 – HLE Match Will Decide Everything
In this context, the match between T1 and HLE will determine the positions of both teams. Because if T1 loses even one game in this match, regardless of the overall defeat, the result is already set. Meanwhile, if HLE loses, they must lose by a score of 2-0. Furthermore, should T1 lose, the power to decide the situation will rest entirely in HLE’s hands as they only need to defeat FOX, who are currently struggling after a series of matches without victory.
Therefore, the battle for the top 2 is quite tense and will be decided right in the hands of stronger teams such as NS and FOX. However, T1’s current pressure is higher than HLE’s as they cannot afford to lose any matches at this point.
