T1 has been eliminated from League of Legends Worlds. It has actually happened. After a first-of-its-kind three-year win streak, the Korean titans have finally bitten the dust, losing out to China’s Bilibili Gaming with a score of three to one. In a lot of ways, I’m sad it’s happened: T1 are easily my favorite team to watch, especially given that EU has struggled to really make a dent during recent Worlds outings. But a part of me is just happy we’re going to get something new.
I’ve always been an avid Worlds watcher, but the past couple of years have felt somewhat predictable. Everyone throws everything they have at T1, Lee ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok saves the day, we get a slew of new skins, and we call it a day. It was interesting for the first couple of years, but the team’s sheer dominance has meant it’s always felt somewhat like T1’s world(s) – the rest of us were just living in it.
Coming into 2026, then, a part of me was admittedly sceptical. I expected another T1 stomp-fest and, by the looks of this year’s Worlds anthem video, a lot of others felt like it was going to go that way, too. Don’t get me wrong: I love watching T1 pop off, but there’s a point where dominance leads to stagnation. That’s why BLG knocking T1 out is a good thing.
League of Legends esports has lacked variety over the past few years. T1’s reign of terror has been amazing to watch, don’t get me wrong, but Worlds has felt like it’s been decided from the get-go. What I always loved about the tournament was the underdog stories – the shocks, the thrills, the rivalries, and the upsets. There’s been a good amount of those over the past year, but it’s always felt like the show would end with T1 on the podium, meaning those moments would, ultimately, take a back seat.
2026 feels more like the Worlds of old – whether it’s Kacper ‘Inspired’ Słoma and Kang ‘Saint’ Seong-in (Saintspired?) flipping the bird at one another, or the early G2 crashout; this feels like we’re back in the glory days of LoL esports. It feels like a competition where anything can actually happen.
Of course, it sucks for T1, and for the org’s fans. Top laner Choi ‘Doran’ Hyeon-joon has taken a bit of heat this season (some of his choices against Karmine Corp were definitely choices), but I’m hopeful that the team can come back strong next year. I don’t have any real doubts that it will; Faker’s still in the mid lane until 2029, after all, and Worlds 2027 is in Korea. The eggs are firmly back in T1’s basket.
But as a LoL esports fan, T1’s loss is a good thing. It’s broken things open again; Worlds is truly anybody’s game now. Variety is the spice of life; T1 will come back fiercer next year, and teams will need to adapt. I’m excited to see what that looks like.