LoL Worlds 2025 is T1’s worst showing ever

We witnessed a historic event on day 4 of the 2025 LoL Worlds Swiss stage. For the first time in their 10 Worlds appearances, T1 has lost twice in the Worlds Swiss/Group stage. So, how exactly did that happen?

T1’s record through the years

Here’s T1’s record in Groups/Swiss stage, at every Worlds they’ve played in:

Now, after the loss to GenG, T1 is currently sitting at 1-2 in the 2025 Swiss stage.

It has to be noted, though, that being 1-2 in itself would be nothing out of the ordinary for any other team. Every team happens to concede several games in Groups/Swiss, including those that make it far. Those who lift the trophy, even.

This scoreline by T1 only looks weird because of how consistently dominant they’ve been every single time. It’s insane to think that they had not once lost more than one game in that stage. Even in years when they’ve looked shaky, or weak (well, by top LCK standards).

T1’s never-broken top 4 history

We remind you that T1 has never finished below the top four at any Worlds they’ve been part of. Across 12 years and nine participations, it’s not just luck or a small sample. There’s something in the team causing them to always go far, no matter their shape coming into Worlds. And that something is probably in parts named Faker.

We’ve always said that if they’ve been able to maintain that unbroken record over so many appearances, it’s bound to keep happening without fail. If they bomb, they bomb before making Worlds. Else, they don’t.

But now that they’ve just lost another one of their ever-standing streaks… who’s to say that their streak of reaching semifinals each time will hold?

T1’s current form

T1’s form at the 2025 LoL Worlds has not been promising, though. They finished the LCK showing some obvious flaws. Faker isn’t as good mechanically as he was in the past, and while he’s for sure an extremely intelligent player who’s still at the top of the game, his laning is a weakness that has been repeatedly exploited. Doran is inconsistent and has been the best top laner in the LCK just as well as another weakness.

Also, Faker and Gumayusi have both shown a lack of proficiency on a number of meta champions. With Fearless draft, being handicapped on a number of important picks is much less forgiving than in previous years. And this has cost them, particularly against Gen.G. But T1 looking weak at the end of the Summer split isn’t out of the ordinary. It’s happened several times in the past, and it’s a known fact that “T1 at Worlds” is a different team. One that’s a contender for the trophy, out of nowhere, every single time.

Only that so far… their Worlds games have been uninspiring as well.

Image Source: Liu YiCun / Riot Games

T1 at LoL Worlds 2025

T1’s start to Worlds was alright. They beat iG in Worlds play-ins, semi-convincingly. But that did the job. Only, that’s not where the bar normally is when it comes to T1, they’re supposed to be dominant or at least have their weaknesses be hard to expose.

Game 1 was Invictus Gaming playing better and throwing it away, without T1’s “input”. Game 2 was them this time only being better. And in games 3 and 4, T1’s players finally woke up. But we expected a player like Oner, who had received praise through the whole year, to do better than that.

Play-ins were concerning – and that’s still where their best showing was.

In game 1 of Swiss, they won against FlyQuest, which was just the expected result. Mostly, FLY did enough work to facilitate the game for T1 that they didn’t have much to do themselves.

Then in game 2, they got beaten by CFO, who never let them have control over the game. They started the game putting the enemy Draven ahead. They then fell prey to Junjia’s masterful plays. Their only ways back into the game were Junjia’s terrible plays. Never their own. So they ended up losing.

But game 3 was the worst by far. While they faced an unarguably formidable opponent in GenG, many other teams would have beaten T1 right there. Faker and Guma suffer from weak champion pools, which, as we said, causes problems in Fearless Bo5s. But here, in a Best of 1, they deliberately put themselves on champions they couldn’t pilot well. And both of them!

The rest of the draft was just as terrible, and lanes went as expected (meaning awfully). And from that point on, T1 was on the receiving end of a dramatically uninspiring stomp.

Can T1 still reach the playoffs at the LoL Worlds 2025?

Image Source: Colin Young-Wolff / Riot Games

Probably. Their performance is awful compared to their standards, and rather mediocre by more general standards. But if we look at who they can face next:

• In their 1-2 match, T1 can go up against TSW, BLG, 100, and the two winners of FNC vs KOI and VKS vs PSG. I don’t give that one to Europe, and 100 Thieves should not win either. VKS, TSW, and PSG are definitely two steps below T1. BLG is the only team that would be a toss-up, as they’re both equally in a slump.
• The 2-2 match is scarier. Here, they could meet Top Esports or G2, and quite frankly, the winner of these matches can’t be predicted – not something I’m used to saying about T1. But they could also face HLE, if they fall to 2-2 as well. And if they do, they’re not making it past them. Not in their current form.

The action resumes today with KOI vs FNC and VKS vs PSG! And to see how T1’s fate will unfold, tune back in on Wednesday or Thursday for round 4.

Featured Image Source: T1 Gumayusi (L) and T1 Doran after defeat at MSI 2025 Finals on Jul. 12, 2025. (Photo by Liu YiCun/Riot Games)