The finals featured a historic matchup between five Chinese and five Korean players. BLG aimed to break T1’s winning streak against Chinese teams and secure their first title, while T1 sought to achieve back-to-back championships. The series unfolded rapidly, with games often decided in under 30 minutes. Despite early struggles, T1 showcased resilience, ultimately winning their fifth championship, with Faker earning the MVP title for his outstanding performance in the crucial matches.
27 Minutes
This final was highly anticipated for several reasons! Firstly, it marked the historic first best-of-five encounter at the Worlds between five Chinese players and five Korean players (in previous LPL teams that won the Worlds, there has always been at least one Korean player).
For BLG, it offered a chance to end T1’s dominance over teams from the Chinese league and to secure the first title in the organization’s history (which would also be the first title for these five players).
On the other hand, for T1, a win in this final would mean it would be the first time a single roster has clinched the championship twice in a row.
In the lead-up to the final, T1 won the coin toss, granting the defending champions the opportunity to choose the blue side, providing them with a significant advantage.
However, the opening game goes poorly for them. After a well-executed late invade by BLG, Gumayusi falls, giving first blood to Elk. It quickly becomes apparent that BLG is much sharper in this final. Decision-making is decisive, and T1 is not allowed to breathe for a moment. A gold gap opens up, and it continues to widen. T1 struggles and makes multiple mistakes that are heavily punished by a more organized BLG. After a prolonged vision game around the Baron Nashor, T1 makes a crucial error, gifting the neutral objective and the game to the top seed Chinese team, who takes just 27 minutes to secure match one on the red side.
In match two, BLG once again surprises T1, scoring first blood almost immediately. However, T1 refuses to back down and regains the lead with a brilliant dive at the 8-minute mark. Much like the previous game, the team that establishes an early gold lead quickly snowballs the remainder of the match. BLG attempts a last-ditch all-in to recover, but T1’s reinforcements arrive just in time. After 27 minutes, T1 evens the score. One match each, and it’s anyone’s game.
In match three, BLG showcases one of their signature combinations, the Kindred/Galio duo from Xun and Knight. With this pair, BLG dominates T1 in a match that ends swiftly. Once again, the snowball effect is surgical, and the trailing team can only attempt an all-in to pull even. T1’s attempts fail, and BLG accelerates decisively, leading the series 2-1 (with yet another win in 27 minutes).
So far, the games have been determined in the initial minutes, as both teams snowball too effectively and rapidly to provide an opportunity for a comeback.
Faker is Eternal
Back against the wall, T1 needs to rally if they want to defend their title and further engrave the legend of this roster. Yet, following the pattern of matches one and three, it’s BLG that seizes control of the game. With a strong focus on Zeus’s Rumble, BLG takes the lead. Despite Xun’s proactive play, T1 stays composed and manages to secure most of the neutral objectives (including six grubs). Both teams trade blows, with skirmishes swinging back and forth. The game remains relatively balanced, but the time advantage lies with BLG, as Knight’s Smolder scaling becomes increasingly threatening. The situation does not bode well for T1, and it’s Faker who shines. Following the momentum of his Sylas, T1 finds a significant mid acceleration, and under Faker’s exceptional leadership, T1 stages a comeback.
Game 5, the moment of legends, and today, November 2, 2024, the ultimate legend of this game determined that he was not ready to pass the torch just yet. In the opening moments, T1 manages to create a slight gold advantage, particularly thanks to their bot lane’s dominance. BLG remains competitive, and the