The SKT1 team led by star player Faker has qualified for the League of Legends Worlds 2019. After the regular season, they finished 4th in the LCK, the Korean LoL league, but in the playoffs, SKT1 eliminated all opponents and claimed the championship title against the favorites Griffin.
This is how to win the LCK: In the Summer Split of the LCK, the Korean professional league of League of Legends, 10 top teams compete against each other in a league format. They play a total of 18 games. Only the top 5 advance to the playoffs.
The SKT1 team played moderately in 2019, finishing 4th with a record of 11-7. This was actually far below expectations.
At one point, SKT1 even had a serious crisis. The team was accused of being “too old” and no longer having what it takes.
4 Consecutive Wins Bring SKT1 the Title in Korean LoL
How strong was SKT1 in the playoffs: However, the team hardly lost in the playoffs. They eliminated all the teams that were ranked higher, one after the other:
- SKT1 needed to win 4 matches in a row to secure 1st place.
- The first-place Griffin only needed a single win since they qualified directly for the finals due to their good ranking – but they did not get the victory.
This is how the finals went: SKT1 defeated Griffin in the LCK Summer 2019 finals with a score of 3:1. Once again, Faker (nickname: The Unkillable Demon King) was a crucial factor. Faker is known for slacking off during the season but being fully present when it matters most.
With aggressive play in the mid-lane, he was able to lead SKT1 to victory early in some matches. Here, however, is a scene where Faker overextends and gets countered. He was probably too aggressive:
New Jungler Seems to Solve SKT1’s Problems
Why is SKT1 suddenly so strong? In 2017, SKT1 tragically lost the Worlds finals, and in 2018 things looked bleak. But now it seems to be looking up.
The jungler, Kim “Clid” Tae-Min, has only been a professional since 2018 but has made a name for himself at SKT1.
He seems to be the missing piece of the puzzle – for years, SKT1 struggled in the jungle position, but they managed to dominate the jungle against Griffin in the LoL matches. Clid was named the MVP of the match.
Only Game 3 could Griffin secure by isolating and eliminating individual SKT1 players.
SKT1 at the Worlds – Faker Achieves Personal Record
This is what’s amazing: By securing 1st place, SKT1 and Faker ensure a spot in the Worlds 2019, the major championships. Last year, SKT1 missed the Worlds – at that point, it seemed as if the era of dominance by Faker and SKT1 in Korean LoL might be over.
With the 8th win of a national trophy, Faker has set a new record. In an interview, he expresses his excitement about getting revenge on G2 Esports (Europe).
G2 Esports, along with Team Liquid and Cloud 9, belong to the illustrious circle of teams that have already qualified for the LoL Worlds 2019. Now SK Telecom T1 has secured that spot as well.
Here we reported on the quarterfinals of the LCK:
Note: The title image is from SKT1’s Facebook page.
