T1’s successful 2023 League of Legends season was solidified at the Dec 13th LCK Awards. Following their dominating performance in the Worlds finals, T1’s players cleaned up every lane award. Their success assures fans that Faker, the Unkillable Demon King, is still on top.
The LCK Awards celebrate the stars in the Korean region, highlighting those who have shined the brightest throughout the season. Awards are given to the best players in each role: top, mid, bottom, jungle, and support. Every T1 player—Zeus, Faker, Gumayusi, Oner, and Keria—won their respective award, blowing any competition out of the water.
Most would agree that the T1 roster wholeheartedly deserves their awards after the team won the League World Championship title on home ground, redeeming themselves from 2022’s loss. But their 2023 season did not begin in the same dominant fashion in which it ended.
The 2023 Spring Split saw them miss out on first place to Gen.G, but the team still qualified for the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI). Their hopes for winning MSI were also dashed, however, this time by LPL team JDG, who went on to win the tournament.
Following MSI, T1 were beaten once again by Gen.G, settling for second place for the second split in a row. Faker, crucial to the team’s motivation and success in mid lane, had suffered from an injury. This placed him on the bench for an extended period in the summer while he recovered.
Nevertheless, Worlds was their time to shine. Faker returned to the starting roster and the team had something to prove. Their devastating loss to DRX in the 2022 finals sent shockwaves through the global League community. T1 made no roster changes over the course of the year, so every player had a shot at redemption.
Based on their performance throughout the World Championship, top lane player Zeus is particularly deserving of what is his second Top Lane of the Year Award. His prowess and domination in his lane were absolutely crucial to the team’s success, earning him the title of MVP after the Worlds final. Faker also earned overall player of the year, which T1 celebrated with the words “Legends never die.”
T1’s sweep of the LCK Awards serves as an important reminder: When you struggle, or it feels as though you’re not yet reaching your full potential, it is never too late. It is possible to start the season on the back foot and end it on top of the world.
