SK Telecom T1 Looks Strong in League of Legends World Championship
The League of Legends World Championship this year is filled with talented teams, making it difficult to predict a clear winner. However, if you had to place a bet on who will take home the trophy, Korea’s SK Telecom T1 might be the safest choice.
SKT was drawn into a group with another strong team, China’s EDward Gaming. Earlier this year, these two teams faced off in the grand final of the Midseason Invitational, with the Chinese team emerging victorious. But today, SKT got some revenge, even though the stakes were not very high.
“It’s only group stages at the moment so this win doesn’t mean all that much. Every team here is good though, even the Western teams,” said SKT AD Carry Jun-Sik “Bang” Bae. “I think it was important for us to proceed as the number one team from this group, so in that way it was important.”
Looking Ahead to the Quarterfinals
The group winner will not have to face another potential group winner in the quarterfinals. Teams like Fnatic, KT Rolster, and even Counter Logic Gaming are showing great potential in the early stages of the tournament in Paris.
The victory over EDG also reinforces the team’s confidence in their preparation, especially against a team that seemed to have out-drafted SKT at MSI.
“Losing at MSI motivated us a lot to prepare really hard for Worlds so I think that’s why we were able to defeat EDG here,” said Jun-Sik Bae.
The win puts SKT in a comfortable position with a 3-0 standing in the group, after defeating H2K Gaming and the Bangkok Titans. This positions them as a top seed to close out the group and secure a favorable quarterfinal match, which is important to Bae.
When asked about the teams he is afraid to face early on, Bae mentioned, “If I had to pick one team I didn’t want to face early on, it would be Fnatic. But also, I don’t want to face any Korean team in the quarterfinal, to be honest.”
While Fnatic has been impressive in their own group with a victory over Invictus Gaming, many are considering them to be a major contender at the tournament. Jun-Sik Bae shares this sentiment, stating, “I think the grand final of this year’s worlds will be us [SKT] and Fnatic.”
This bold statement echoes the sentiments of many players at the event. It remains to be seen whether this is just personal belief, a strategic move, or a display of respect for the host continent. However, it is clear that no one is underestimating the Western teams.
SKT will now wait for the rest of the groups to finish their first round of matches before continuing their journey in the tournament. They currently hold the first position with a 3-0 record, while EDG trails closely behind with a 2-1 record. Their group will conclude on Friday Oct. 9 with a rematch that will determine their fate in the tournament. So far, SKT looks like they are on track to win the organization’s second World title.
Photo via Riot Games/Flickr
League of Legends, esports, SK Telecom T1, World Championship, Fnatic