LoL: What is the Telecom War?

The Telecom War is the clash between two historic organizations in the South Korean and global esports scene, known today as T1 and KT Rolster. The term “Telecom” comes from the fact that both teams are owned by two major telecommunications companies: SK Telecom and KT Corporation.

The rivalry between the two organizations didn’t start with League of Legends but dates back to the early 2000s on StarCraft, where they were already opponents. In 2013, KT Rolster entered LoL with two rosters during the Winter Split, followed by SKT in the Spring. The first ever clash between the two teams took place on April 24 of that same year, won by SKT T1. Of the ten starting players who competed that day, only two remain active in 2025: the eternal Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok and toplaner Jeong "Impact" Eon-young.

The two teams later met again in the grand final of the Champions 2013 Summer Split. KT won the first two games of the best-of-five, but SKT clawed their way back in games three and four, forcing a game five. SKT went on to claim their first LCK title in history, qualified for Worlds 2013, and were crowned the best team in the world when they lifted their first Summoner’s Cup.

2014 saw the script turn. SKT’s form dipped, and KT took their chance as they eliminated SKT in Champions Summer 2014 semis en route to their first LCK Championship. Unfortunately, back then this didn’t guarantee a Worlds berth. KT was upset during the regional finals by NaJin White Shield and couldn’t mimic what their rival did in 2013.

In 2015, sister teams disappeared and the Korean Exodus, where star players were imported away from Korea for better pay, shacked the landscape. SKT T1 took this chance and dominated LCK winning both splits and qualifying for Worlds. KT had a decent year and was able to qualify for their first World Championship.

Bad luck kept following them, as they lost in quarters, and had to see their rivals be the first team to win two Summoner’s Cups. 2016 saw more SKT dominance until Summer 2016 semifinals, where KT was able to upset SKT and advance to the finals. KT lost in the Regional Finals in heartbreaking fashion 2-3 to Samsung Galaxy and missed Worlds.

The following year, KT assembled a super team with big names such as Song "Smeb" Kyung-ho, Kim "Deft" Hyuk-kyu, and Cho "Mata" Se-hyeong, but it didn’t work out, as SKT kept their domestic throne in Spring before losing it in Summer to Longzhu Gaming. 2018 then turned into a dark year for T1, while KT won the Summer Split and reached the Worlds quarterfinals, where they lost to the eventual champions, Invictus Gaming.

In 2020, SKT T1 rebranded to T1, but it was a year to forget for both teams. What followed was the beginning of T1’s era of dominance and years of drought for KT Rolster. A Worlds appearance in 2023 after an impressive but titleless season was one of KT’s few highlights. Meanwhile, T1 claimed an LCK title, reached the Worlds semifinals in 2021, the finals in 2022, and lifted two Worlds trophies in 2023 and 2024 — clearly taking the lead in this historic rivalry between two legendary LCK organizations.

The head-to-head statistics between the two teams are clear: T1 leads the rivalry. On Sunday, November 9, the two organizations will face off in the 2025 Worlds Grand Final after very different journeys. T1 is the team that has consistently been expected at this stage for several years, making this their fourth consecutive final. For KT, it’s their very first appearance, coming off a completely insane semifinal where they took down Gen.G.

Since 2015, the numbers are clear: 110 wins for T1, 56 for KT Rolster. More recently in 2025, the gap is even wider, with 13 victories for the two-time defending world champions compared to just four for KT. This Worlds final promises to be thrilling, and even though T1 holds the head-to-head advantage, we’ve seen that it doesn’t necessarily mean much on the Worlds stage.