T1 will have the chance to defend their world champion title in the final. After a well-executed best-of-five series, this
second semifinal of the Worlds, pitting LCK's two fiercest rivals of recent years against each other, saw T1 dominate the contest against
Gen.G, who had entered the competition as the top favorite. This 3-1 victory secures T1’s third consecutive final with this roster and the seventh of Faker's career. They will face Bilibili Gaming, the reigning LPL champion, in a highly anticipated showdown at London’s O2 Arena. But first, in light of today’s intense clash, Sheep Esports presents player ratings for each member of both teams.
T1: 8
These 2024 Worlds carry a sense of déjà vu, as T1 once again entered their semifinal with a unique read on the meta. They ignored high-priority picks like Skarner and Jax, leaving them open throughout the whole series and only drafting them once in Game 4. Despite this, T1 dominated the matchup with disruptive teamfight compositions that stifled Gen.G’s playmaking. Zeus’s Gragas pick perfectly frames this, helping to destabilize Gen.G’s strategies. Yet, as always, it’s the strength of T1’s collective play that shines through. Every player contributed crucially to their game plan, highlighting the team’s impeccable synergy. T1 are scaling impressively through the tournament and, remarkably, they haven’t even been pushed to their limits by their greatest rivals this season. Bilibili Gaming should be wary, as T1 in a Worlds final hold an impressive record of 4 wins out of 6 appearances.
Zeus: 8
We can hardly wait for the finals matchup between the world’s best Gragas and the world’s best Jax—assuming they’re left open. Choi "Zeus" Woo-je seems to have returned to his peak form just in time, heading into a showdown with Bin to settle who truly holds the title of best top laner in the world. His champion pool has been on full display today with Gragas, Maokai (a pick already at use by WBG in their semifinal), and Jax, each with a game-changing impact. His Gragas has been particularly disruptive in game 1 and 3, landing perfect ultimates to isolate enemy carries, leaving them trapped and vulnerable. His timing and decisiveness have been a nightmare for Gen.G, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they’re still reeling from his dominance.
Oner: 8
Mun "Oner" Hyeon-juntruly embodied the role of a maestro in T1’s semifinal against Gen.G, consistently providing his team with the tools to initiate optimal teamfights. In Game 1, his Vi pick relentlessly locked down Chovy’s Sylas, shutting down one of Gen.G’s key threats. Although his Kindred pick in Game 2 showed a bit of overconfidence—struggling to deliver the expected DPS—Oner recalibrated in Game 3, returning to Vi and flawlessly targeting any out-of-position Gen.G players, cementing his role as a punisher. By Game 4, he switched to Skarner, the power pick of these Worlds, delivering much-needed frontline control and shining as he countered Canyon’s Nidalee. Oner’s versatility and instinctive positioning throughout the series showcased his invaluable impact.
Faker: 7
Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok reclaimed his lead in victories over Chovy today and now heads into his seventh Worlds final, marking his third consecutive one alongside his four mates. He’ll look to build on his legendary legacy after the heartbreak of 2022’s 2-3 loss to DRX and last year’s triumphant 3-0 sweep over Weibo Gaming. In this series, Faker demonstrated his mastery across multiple champions: on Yone in Game 1, he made game-winning engages to clinch crucial teamfights. Game 2 saw him on Sylas, though without any impact. In Game 3, he went ultra-flashy with Akali, diving fearlessly 1v4 into Gen.G’s backline in the final teamfight at 30 minutes—and walking away unscathed, perfectly framing how dominant and confident he was today. Finally, he brought out his signature Ahri in Game 4, only slipping once with a risky teleport to top lane that cost him his life but successfully baited two Gen.G players out of position, leading to their own elimination. Faker’s fearless play and consistent clutch moments once again underscore why he’s regarded as one of the greatest of all time.
Gumayusi: 8
Lee "Gumayusi" Min-hyeong was relentless, showcasing impeccable positioning and composure. Supported by his teammates' crowd control, which neutralized every Gen.G attempt to initiate fights, the Korean ADC reminded the young Peyz who truly rules the botlane. Despite recording his first deaths of the tournament, Gumayusi still holds an impressive 19/4/20 KDA and continues to be T1's main damage dealer. Playing Ashe twice, he contributed significantly to T1's crowd control arsenal, landing impactful arrows that Lehends’ Rell won’t soon forget. While his Caitlyn struggled in Game 2 and never scaled to deal meaningful damage, his lethality Varus in Game 4 brought precise poke that set up Oner’s Skarner with easy targets to pick off. Gumayusi’s consistency and adaptability throughout the series highlighted why he's considered one of the world’s top ADCs.
Keria: 8
Ryu "Keria" Min-seok has been an absolute beast since the knockout stage debuted. Without making any mistakes on Renata Glasc in Games 1 and 3, he showcased remarkable precision in every move, keeping T1’s teamfights under control and consistently protecting Faker on the midlane throughout the entire series. In Game 4, he even gifted us once more with his Pyke plays, bringing impressive map movement and a sharp edge to T1’s aggression. Although his Braum in Game 2 lacked impact in a composition that struggled to deal damage, he maintained a strong presence overall, often standing as T1’s frontline defense in tense exchanges. His consistent, resilient play shone even brighter in contrast to his counterpart, who faltered in each of the four games.
Gumayusi finally recorded his first death of the tournament, yet he still boasts an impressive 19/4/20 KDA. Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
Gen.G: 4
The curse will not be broken this year for the new generation, who are yet again failing to reach the Worlds final. This must be all the more painful given that Gen.G had the better edge over T1 all year, with a run of ten consecutive wins over the world champions. But at Worlds, the trend is reversed every year between the two teams, and 2024 was no exception. GEN can blame themselves, especially from the turning point in game 3, when the Skarner pick was not prioritized in favor of an insignificant Nocturne, Lehends who completely missed out on the BO, Chovy, who did not exploit his superb skills at all, and Peyz, who made a huge mistake in the decisive fight of the final game…
Kiin: 4
Kim "Kiin" Gi-in was arguably Gen.G's most consistent and decisive player throughout the series. But he had to pay for his catastrophic game 3, in which he ended with a KDA of 0/7/3 on his Jax, making him the sixth man (seventh if you include Lehends) for the world champions. Still, he made some noticeable efforts in the other three games, and especially in the last one. He was the single player from Gen.G to hold a lead over his opposite number in a solid first game with Renekton. Then, with Jax, he did a good job in game 2 by creating space for his teammates in fights and creating a good lead across the sides. Finally, he took on a lot of responsibility with Poppy in the decisive game, with several clutches, whether on his ultimates that allowed his team to play 5v4 fights or on the last confrontation that his team should have won, thanks in particular to the play he created on Faker.
Canyon: 5
The most legitimate criticism to be leveled at Kim "Canyon" Geon-bu after his BO concerns his priorities, and those of his coaching staff, in draft. Gen.G's plan for Game 3 remains unknown to this day, why didn't he go back to the Skarner who was so scary for T1 in the first two games? Why this Nocturne, which didn't add any value to the composition? Despite this unfortunate game, in games 1 and 2, Canyon did what he could by finding some very good ultis and giving his team a lead in the early stages. Finally, forced to take responsibility as none of his team-mates seemed fit, he positioned himself on Nidalee in Game 4. And he wasn't helped by a team that didn't offer him any priority on the map and didn't allow him to maneuver his beloved pick freely. He did his best, though, and the proof is that Gen.G managed to comeback largely thanks to his lead, which kept them afloat, a lead that even turned into a gap on his direct opponent (2.4k gold). Despite the loss following his AD Carry error, he finished first of his team's damages.
Chovy: 4
Once again, Jeong "Chovy" Ji-hoon failed to reach the Holy Grail. Once again, the man considered by many to be the best player in the world failed to live up to expectations on the big day. If he was not the main factor in his team's defeat on Sunday, he was also never the X-factor. The church waited for its God for the seventh year running but he never arrived, still unable to answer the prayers of his adepts when it comes to the most important competition of the year. Faker told him as much in the introductory video: if you're my successor, prove it. The Gen.G midlaner's consistency throughout the year is matched only by his flogging at Worlds' finals stages. However, he remained fairly fair and clean throughout the tournament, always seeking to optimize his resource gain and rarely making a big mistake (at Nashor in Game 1, when he pressed his Zhonya/Flash too late). What's more, he wasn't favored by an insane support diff, particularly with Keria preventing him from playing his lane as he wished, always close to Faker in the early stages to prevent a gap from opening up. But that doesn't change the fact that Gen.G never had the right to his savior turning around a draft with a game-breaker pick or a play with an action worthy of the best player in the world. Chovyé.
Peyz: 4
Kim "Peyz" Su-hwan was far from a great BO, but he can at least boast some good statistics, despite the defeat. Overall, his KDA was close to Gumayusi's (9 compared to 9.75), he had fewer deaths than Gumayusi (3 compared to 4), his farming was good and his DPM was decent. However, he undoubtedly cost his team the BO with a huge mistake as an AD Carry during the last game, when his team had just achieved a comeback. Gen.G had just given themselves a free fight after a game-breaker catch on Faker, Peyz got a little too hot and ran into the Skarner's ultimate with his flash available, allowing T1 to turn the match around once again and win the series. It's all the more symptomatic of Gen.G's level on this BO5, as the ADC is not at all accustomed to making this kind of mistake, being renowned for his mechanical accuracy and his awareness of in-game threats. Moreover, his Ziggs, who had shone so brightly in LCK, was completely silenced for the first game, particularly during decisive teamfights when he struggled to find DPS.
Lehends and Cho "Mata" Se-hyeong (Credit: Yicun Liu/Riot Games)
Lehends: 2
Son "Lehends" Si-woo put in one of the worst performances of his career. Having already been a dead weight for his team in the previous BO against FlyQuest, he repeated the trick on Sunday. With the exception that this time, he was far too heavy to be carried by his team, who were forced to abandon the race and let themselves die... almost entirely through his own fault. Always in the wrong place at the wrong time, the support offered T1 countless advantages, both economic and numerical as decisive objectives approached. While Gen.G as a whole did not put in a great performance, T1 can be satisfied with having had a majestic Keria accompanied by a second support in the person of Lehends. Twenty deaths in four games, only Fu "Hang" Ming-Hang did better with 21 against Weibo. And the Gen.G support can thank his decent games 1 and 2, because he racked up fifteen in his last two cataclysmic games.
Header Photo Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
