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T1's road to defending their League of Legends Worlds crown
Reigning champions T1 are hoping to retain the Summoner's Cup for a record fourth time in a row at this year's World Championship. Here's how the stage has been set for the record-breaking team.
T1 and the League of Legends World Championship are a match made in esports heaven. But after making history in 2025, the South Korean team face a fresh challenge as they prepare for Worlds 2026.
Last year, T1 lifted the Summoner's Cup for a record-extending sixth time, becoming the first team to win the League of Legends World Championship three years in a row. Now, Lee 'Faker' Sang-hyeok and his teammates are aiming to extend that remarkable run by claiming a fourth consecutive title.
Getting to this year's tournament, however, has been far from straightforward. T1's season has been full of ups and downs, with the team pushed to the limit on several occasions as they battled to secure their place at Worlds. Yet, with Faker leading the way, they have another opportunity to prove they belong at the top. Here's how T1 navigated a turbulent season to begin their title defence.
01
A target on their back
With 2025's Summoner's Cup claimed, T1 entered the 2026 season with heightened scrutiny and a big target on their backs – but it's not the first time the squad has been in this position. Faker, Choi 'Doran' Hyeon-jun, Mun 'Oner' Hyeon-jun, Kim 'Peyz' Su-hwan, and Ryu 'Keria' Min-seok kicked off the season and got down to business as usual. The first stop? The LCK Cup.
T1's 2025 World Championship win made history for the team
© Colin Young-Wolff / Riot Games
Serving as the kickoff tournament for the league, the LCK Cup gave each team an opportunity to showcase their skills following the winter break. With 10 teams split into two groups and then knockout playoffs to follow, South Korean teams were all aiming to claim the trophy as well as secure a spot in the first international tournament of the year: First Stand.
T1 got off to a flying start, winning all five of their series and dropping just three games – finishing second in their group behind Gen.G. As they got into the Playoffs, however, the top team from the opposite group, BNK FEARX, were able to stop T1 in their tracks with a 3-1 victory, sending T1 into the lower bracket. There, T1 faced off against Dplus KIA, where a fierce five-game series erupted, and T1's rivals were able to reverse-sweep the World Champions and knock them out of the LCK Cup in fourth place.
It was not an ideal start to the season for the reigning world champions, which also saw T1 miss out on the first international event of the year – with Gen.G and BNK FEARX representing at First Stand instead – but there would still be highlights to come.
02
Fighting back in the regular season
T1 get ready to fight during the LCK Regular Season
© LCK/Riot Games
While T1 did not have the dream start to the season with a LCK Cup victory, they had nine weeks of regular season play during the first rounds of the LCK to turn the tide. And while their final tally of 14 wins and just four losses – securing a second-place finish during the round robin in the process – paints a positive picture, week by week, it looked much tighter.
T1 were stuck in the bottom part of the top four throughout the season, having suffered at least one loss each week in the first three. Week 4 saw two wins, while Week 5 saw one win and one loss, but from then on, T1 were sailing, as they racked up the wins heading into the final week. A flawless Week 9 saw T1 take their revenge over KT Rolster, who had them beat in Week 1, while they also beat BNK FEARX, who had previously bested them in the LCK Cup at the start of the season.
With their second-place finish, T1 secured a spot in the LCK's Road to Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) competition, which would decide who would compete on the international stage at the MSI.
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03
Mid-season madness
The Mid-Season Invitational brings together the world's top League of Legends teams at a crucial point in the season. With the competitive year taking shape, it offers an early indication of how the leading teams compare on the international stage.
T1 began their campaign in the Play-In stage, making an emphatic start with three consecutive 3-0 victories. They swept North America's Team Liquid, the LEC's Karmine Corp and, after dropping into the lower bracket, Team Liquid again to advance to the next stage.
T1 had plenty to prove at MSI
© Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
The challenge intensified in Stage 2, where T1 faced their first major test against China's Bilibili Gaming. Having established themselves among the leading teams in the LPL, BLG proved difficult opponents. T1 took the opening game, but the Chinese side fought back to secure a 3-2 series victory after five closely contested games.
The defeat sent T1 into the lower bracket, where they responded with a convincing 3-0 sweep of Brazil's FURIA. Their run ended against the LEC's G2 Esports, however, who claimed a 3-1 victory. G2 won the first two games, leaving T1 with little room for error. Although T1 took the third to keep their hopes alive, G2 closed out the series in the fourth game.
T1 finished MSI in fifth to sixth place, a disappointing result for a team with their international pedigree. Their domestic rivals Hanwha Life Esports went on to win the tournament, securing the title and a place at Worlds 2026.
MSI was not the only major international test on T1's schedule. The 2026 Esports World Cup followed in July, bringing together leading teams in Paris, France, with T1 once again looking to make their mark.
T1 advanced to the knockout stage and opened with a 2-0 quarter-final victory over domestic rivals Hanwha Life Esports. Their progress was halted by Karmine Corp, however. Despite having beaten the LEC side previously, T1 lost 2-1 as the French team's home crowd got behind them. The defeat sent T1 into the third-place match, where they faced another domestic rival, Gen.G. T1 fell 2-1, finishing fourth overall.
04
LCK Playoffs and the road to Worlds
With the mid-season international competitions over, attention turned to the second half of the regular season. For reigning world champions T1, it was the next test in their bid to defend their title. Placed in the Legend Group after the opening rounds, they faced a challenging four weeks. Three wins and five losses were enough to secure third place in the group and a spot in the LCK Playoffs, where a place at Worlds 2026 was up for grabs.
With the top four teams in the LCK Playoffs qualifying for Worlds, the stakes were high. T1 opened with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over BNK FEARX, but their next match brought a 3-2 defeat to Hanwha Life Esports (HLE). The result sent T1 into the lower bracket, leaving them with little room for error.
T1 put on a show during the LCK Playoffs
© LCK/Riot Games
T1 responded with a 3-1 win over Dplus KIA to advance to the fourth round, setting up another clash with HLE. This time, however, T1 again fell short, losing 3-1 to their domestic rivals. Despite the defeat, they finished third in the LCK Playoffs, securing direct qualification for the main event at Worlds 2026 and keeping their title defence alive.
05
T1's chance to make League of Legends history
2026's League of Legends World Championship is on the horizon. And this time, it's taking place in North America, which last hosted Worlds back in 2022 – coincidentally the last time T1 did not take the trophy. This year, however, T1 have a unique opportunity to complete a regional sweep if they take the title.
After claiming the Summoner's Cup in South Korea, Europe and China in consecutive years, if T1 take their fourth in a row, it will be the first time a team has swept all four major regions with a Worlds victory. As one of the most decorated teams in the world, T1 still have the opportunity to smash records, break new ground, and carve their name into legend once again.
The competition will be fierce, with the world's best teams gathering to challenge for the Summoner's Cup. T1's season has been far from dominant, but their history shows they cannot be written off. They have overcome setbacks to reach the main event, and now have the opportunity to turn a turbulent campaign into another chapter in their remarkable story.
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