T1’s semifinal win continues Korean LoL teams’ impressive Worlds streak to start 2020s

Four League of Legends seasons into the new decade, and the LCK is continuing one of the most impressive ongoing streaks in the esport following today’s semifinal win by T1 over JD Gaming. 

For the fourth consecutive year, a Korean League team will be present in the Worlds finals, with T1 representing the region for a second straight season. Last year, T1 was one of two Korean squads in an all-LCK bout between them and DRX, and on Nov. 19, they’ll look to earn redemption from last year’s near-win when they take on Weibo Gaming. 

In this decade, a team from the LCK has made it to the finals in all four seasons, with three different franchises—DAMWON, DRX, and T1—reaching the pinnacle match. Among those three, T1 is the only one not to win the Summoner’s Cup in the 2020s yet. 

League of Legends Worlds finals participants and outcomes in the 2020s

Korean teams had a Worlds finals streak through the near-entirety of the 2010s, but it went cold in 2018 and 2019 when the finals featured matchups between Chinese and European teams in those seasons. For the majority of the previous decade, T1 (then known as SK Telecom T1) was one of, if not the sole LCK representatives in the finals, as they reached the last match in four of the six seasons between 2012 and 2017. 

This marks the second time in franchise history that T1 has reached the Worlds finals in back-to-back seasons. The team did so first in 2015 and 2016 when they won consecutive titles over fellow LCK teams KOO Tigers and Samsung Galaxy.

In fact, next weekend’s final will mark the first time in 10 seasons that the T1 organizations will play a Worlds finals match against a non-domestic opponent. In 2013, SKT beat Royal Club to win their first international title, but in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2022, the organization faced off against one of their Korean leaguemates. 

Three of the four seasons in the 2020s have featured a world final between a Korean and Chinese team, and similarly to Worlds 2020—which took place in Shanghai—one of the regions will have home-field advantage in next weekend’s series, as T1 will have the chance to win it all on home soil. For the first time in his career, T1 mid laner Faker will be playing for the Summoner’s Cup in his home country, with next week’s final being played in Seoul. 

T1 and Weibo Gaming will battle in the 2023 Worlds final next Sunday, Nov. 19.