earned an opportunity to claim the LCK Challengers League title for the first time since the 2021 LCK CL Spring. On September 10, T1 Esports Academy having finished first in the LCK Challengers League regular season, secured the first spot in the Grand Finals after defeating
, Asia Masters 2026 champions, 3-1 . Although Dplus KIA Challengers had remained undefeated in matches since Round 2 of the regular season, T1 Esports Academy ultimately brought that winning streak to an end.
The LCK Challengers League debuted in 2021 alongside the new LCK franchise system. That inaugural season belonged entirely to T1 Esports Academy. Aside from the debut of Kim '
' Min-cheol, the team featured veteran talent. They dominated the split, dropping only three sets en route to the championship. T1 Esports Academy failed to capture another LCK Challengers League title after that debut run.
They later claimed the 2025 Asia Star Challengers Invitational behind standout performances from Ha '
' Seung-min and Sin '
' Geum-jae. Still, the domestic crown remained their goal.
T1 Esports Academy boasts one of the youngest rosters in the LCK Challengers League. The team recently called up 17-year-old ADC, Kim '
' Min-jun from T1 Rookies for the playoffs, significantly lowering their average age. Excluding Moon '
' Jeong-hwan, who debuted with FearX Youth in 2023, every player on the roster holds less than two years of competitive experience.
However, the squad made headlines during
2026 KeSPA Cup. There, they showcased their potential by making victories against LCK tier-1 rosters.
Alongside the remaining LCK Challengers League contenders, the squad is also set to challenge for the title at the upcoming Tier-2 international tournament,
World Star Challengers Invitational. Winning the LCK Challengers League would grant them the first-seed position, alongside Dplus KIA Challengers, who already hold a first-seed qualification as Asia Masters champions.
