secured the 2026 LCK Challengers League title following a decisive 3-0 victory over
in the final series. The triumph marks their first championship in five years since winning the 2021 LCK CL Spring Split. The 3-0 shutout is also the first clean sweep in a final since T1 Esports Academy achieved the very same feat back then.
Dominant Performance, The Frution of a Year’s Effort
Having swept the LCK CL season awards prior to the finals, T1 Esports Academy proved why they were heralded as the best team in the CL by asserting relentless early-game pressure against their opponents. Promoted from T1 Rookies earlier this year, Kim "
" Eun-hoo showcased a performance far beyond his rookie status in this match, earning himself the Finals MVP honors.
Although they had to settle for runner-up finishes at both the 2026 LCK CL Kickoff and the 2026 Asia Masters, T1 Esports Academy ultimately saw their year-long consistency rewarded by capping off the regular season's main event with the Challengers League championship title. The team's explosive form was propelled by their ALL-LCK CL selections—Shim "
" Soo-hyun, Kim "
" Eun-hoo, Moon "
" Jung-hwan, and Moon "
" Hyeon-ho—further bolstered by substitute roster member Kim "
" Min-jun stepping in as the starting bot laner.
Domestic Conquest, Sights Set on the Global Stage
Having conquered the domestic circuit after five long years, the next objective for T1 Esports Academy is to carry their momentum into the World Star Challengers Invitational (WSCI), an international stage gathering the world’s most elite Tier 2 teams.
Establishing themselves as frontrunners for the inaugural edition of the WSCI kicking off next week, T1 Esports Academy stand ready alongside KT Challengers, DN SOOPers, and Dplus KIA Challengers to assert the prestige of what is widely regarded as the strongest secondary league in the world. The WSCI begins on September 19, featuring 16 teams battling through a group stage before advancing to the knockout bracket.
