Whether you’re an old hand in esports, purely an LCK (League Championships Korea) team fan, or just getting started – one name you’ll have heard is T1.

The conclusion of League of Legends esports year is at Worlds 2024 with the finals hosted in London after travelling through Europe and two teams facing off – one from China, one from you guessed it, Korea. 

The Korean team is one of the most notable – T1, formerly SK Telecom 1. I was fortunate enough to attend both the conclusion of the finals, and the media day prior gaining access to T1 to hear their thoughts.

League of Legends World Championship 2024 - Finals Features Day

T1, the icons of Korean Esports

 As one of the most iconic, notable and respected esports organisations it’s hardly surprising that we would be thrilled to see them in the finals once more. But T1 are about more than just the reputation which precedes them — they’re living legends. 

T1 first began back in 2013 though have since rebranded from SK Telecom 1 to T1 as the years have progressed. They are most notable for their top tier players who have collected regional and international trophies alike over the years — with much of this attention being focused on the mid laner of Lee ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok, aka The GOAT or Unkillable Demon King.

Make Them Believe in London

This Worlds saw T1 go for their fifth Worlds win, having attended three years in a row. Additionally, this win was said by Faker to be: “for the fans who have supported us no matter what” [paraphrasing] as 2023’s win was for his teammates. 

While T1’s Worlds 2024 win had looked to be hanging in the balance at the moment, the win is a true testament to Korea’s powerhouse esports organisation and their players.

T1’s appearance at finals in London, and the desire to win for the fans is also reflected in Riot’s (the developers and owners of League of Legends) slogan for this year’s Worlds — titled ‘Make Them Believe’. And T1 will make you believe – the dream is real and so is the hype around this organisation.

“To those that believed in us no matter what, the fifth trophy is for you” - Faker, Worlds 2024 

 If you are looking to get into esports, specifically in the context of Korea, T1 is the best place to start, as one of the most decorated champions of modern esports in League of Legends and in other games too.

5 Worlds titles + 5 players = Living Legends

 The 2nd of November 2024 marks the 5th title for T1 having beat BLG (the Chinese representative) in a match spanning all 5 games with a score of 3-2. I can tell you, having been in the arena, that the atmosphere was tense, and my heart was beating at an unhealthy rate for the majority of the matches. 

My heartrate aside, this win does more than just show the powerhouse of Korea to be very much at the top of their game – it demonstrates that while esports is not a conventional career, it can be a highly successful one.

With this win T1 secured their legacy as living legends of esports, with Faker having a place in the League of Legends Hall of Fame,  and the top laner Choi ‘Zeus’ Woo-je being a world champion and arguably best top laner in the world at just 20 years old.

Edited by Chelsea Cheetham.