LoL - Worlds 2024: T1 retain their title

The years pass, and the metas shift, yet two rules in League of Legends remain unchanging: (1) T1 is the best team in the world, and (2) Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok is the greatest player of all time. On Saturday, the South Korean titans added a fifth star to their collection, clinching the Worlds final against Bilibili Gaming (3-2) at London’s O2 Arena. The driving force of this latest victory was Faker, the legendary player who has been the cornerstone of all prior triumphs and earned Finals MVP honors for his commanding performance in this match. This title also marked the second consecutive World title for “ZOFGK,” a first in the competition’s history. In its three-year existence, this gifted roster has reached the Worlds final three times, winning twice.

On Saturday, however, BLG had a chance to rewrite history. The Chinese team took a stronger start to the final, capitalizing on a weird draft by the reigning champions to obliterate T1 in Game 1. Overall, the LPL champion excelled in the early games, securing all five first bloods, but couldn’t fully convert on its leads. In Game 2, a misstep in the toplane quickly opened a path for T1 to equalize the BO. Although Peng "XUN" Lixun's mastery of Kindred gave BLG back the lead in Game 3, the Smolder-Ziggs draft in Game 4 failed entirely.

With T1 on the brink of defeat and the game gridlocked, it was here that the Unkillable Demon King truly emerged. Faker took control, creating magic on Sylas, with a pivotal play using ON’s Rakan ultimate. In the deciding Game 5, Faker delivered another stellar performance on Galio. Working alongside Choi "Zeus" Woo-je, he orchestrated miracles in the toplane, waiting patiently for his teammates to arrive and securing the game-defining fight.

Ryu "Keria" Min-seok also came through in this crucial moment, with a clutch Poppy ultimate that canceled knight’s teleport. The support player shone throughout the BO, especially with Renata Glasc. BLG had defeated T1 twice in BO5s earlier this year at MSI, and their Worlds run featured standout performances from Chen "Bin" Zebin and Zhao "Elk" Jiahao. However, BLG couldn’t defy destiny, and, as history proves, T1 always finds a way to win.