T1’s ability to develop players is on full display in the 2021 LCK Summer Split.
Out of the nine teams (excluding T1) participating in the 2021 LCK Summer Split, eight have a former SKT player or trainee on their roster, as first pointed out by Reddit user horatioe. The only LCK team that doesn’t have a former player from the winningest League of Legends organization is DRX, who, coincidentally or not, are ranked last in the standings this split.
The SKT/T1 organization has been developing a lot of talent for years. While not all players flourish under its banner, many of them eventually find a new home and go on to perform well. The former T1 players who are still participating in the LCK are:
- Nongshim RedForce – Peanut and Gori
- Gen.G – Clid and Burdol
- Liiv SANDBOX – Effort
- DWG KIA – Khan
- Afreeca Freecs – Leo and Bang
- Hanwha Life Esports – Willer
- Fredit BRION – Lava and Delight
- KT – Blank
Compared to other orgs in League, T1 is a talent factory. No other team can say it has fostered as much new talent that can compete at the highest level as T1. Even if a couple of former players have retired, many of them are still active in various regions.
From the LJL to the LPL, South Korea has proven to be an exceptional region in terms of individual player excellence. But even then, T1 is a cut above the rest when it comes to finding talent for both major and minor regions, showing just how strong the org’s recruiting is.
T1 are tied for fourth place in the 2021 LCK Summer Split with a 9-6 record. The team’s next match will be against second-place Gen.G on Friday, Aug. 6.
Correction Aug. 2 5:40pm CT: The original version of this article didn’t include a link to a Reddit post on this subject that was published before the article. The article has been updated to reflect this. We regret this error.
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