KT pulled off a stunning upset against GEN! Chovy was once again stopped at the semifinals! T1 is on track to become six-time champions!

No one anticipated that the team which advanced to the World Championship from the LCK playoffs as a surprise contender, with many believing KT’s success was merely luck—winning a BO5 against GEN and surpassing DK to qualify first—would perform this well. Yet at Worlds, KT proved with perfection that they are more than a dark horse; they are a dominant team! They defeated GEN 3-1 to secure the first spot in the S15 World Championship finals! They are now vying for the title. Few expected BDD to so decisively outplay Chovy! Chovy truly reigns as the king of domestic matches, but his Worlds record now stands at 8884844. If this lineup can’t claim the championship this year, then it’s likely they never will, not now, not ever!

GEN’s chosen lineup was completely ineffective, and it’s unclear why they had such misplaced confidence. KT used early-game tempo champions in the first few games, focusing mainly on dragon control and team fights! Meanwhile, GEN brought out scaling champions; Orianna and Lissandra shattered instantly and couldn’t team fight effectively. When team fights broke out, KT split their formation, and GEN’s players scattered everywhere! Throughout the BO5, KT’s playstyle resembled that of LPL teams—no prolonged macro or dragging out the game, just straight-up fighting! GEN’s mid-jungle duo was completely ineffective; Chovy was repeatedly caught off guard and solo killed by BDD, Canyon was invisible—no presence, no resources, no impact! The bot lane was also dominated. Overall, only Kiin seemed motivated to win and make plays; the rest gave up!

BDD earned MVP honors in three games: in game one, his Yone showcased dazzling chaotic plays; in game three, his Azir single-handedly won team fights; in game four, his Cassiopeia provided substantial team fight damage and landed multiple crucial stuns! The core issue was GEN’s constant reliance on late-game, believing they could outscale without picking lane-pushing champions, hoping to shine later. KT secured the first two dragons almost every game, forcing GEN to engage fights unwillingly, which led to their collapse! GEN’s team lacked initiation and frontline; their squads shattered upon contact!

This year, GEN depended heavily on Ruler to lead and carry, which seemed promising, but once at Worlds, the team lost direction and couldn’t perform at all! GEN will likely disband and rebuild next year; this roster can’t continue for many more seasons! After GEN’s elimination, T1 is probably the happiest, since GEN has always been T1’s nemesis, like a counterbalance between teams, with GEN being more of a threat to KT than T1. Of course, T1’s pursuit of a sixth championship won’t be easy, especially with TES still in the way—can they pull it off?