Photo by Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
League of Legends LPL champions JDG have defeated LCK legends T1 in a tense five-game series to advance to the MSI 2023 grand final in London.
Despite their best efforts, T1 eventually succumbed to JDG’s consistent pressure, and now move to the lower bracket. Meanwhile, JDG have progressed all the way in the upper bracket, ready to fight for the title on Sunday May 21st.
Game one appeared firmly in the hands of JDG as they took advantage of T1’s every misstep to secure the Dragon Soul, a Baron and the Nexus. T1 did not take the defeat lying down and immediately returned to win games two and three. However, games four and five moved decisively in the favour of JDG. Despite fierce competition, the team exerted more patience and control to secure the series.
As close as the result was, T1’s two games seemed less decisively won compared to JDG’s three. Each JDG win was a long, hard-fought game, with a discernible turning point that confirmed their success.
On the other hand, T1 could only enjoy a rushed finish emerging from the crux of a team fight. Although the team fights leading to T1’s success were certainly a dominating sweep of the map, a sprint to the Nexus was required to ensure a win.
“We just need to be better than our opponent” – T1 ready to battle in Lower Bracket, while JDG predict a rematch in the final
Following their loss, T1 were both hopeful and realistic regarding the challenges ahead.
When questioned about which team they preferred to face in their next game, T1 jungler Oner replied: “It doesn’t matter which team wins tomorrow [out of BLG and Gen.G]; we just need to be better than our opponent.”
Overall, the team’s attitude appears to remain positive, with Oner reasoning that “maybe we could have had better condition on game day, but we only dropped one series”.
It may be one series to T1, but the win means more to JDG – the 2022 World Championships saw T1 responsible for knocking JDG out of the competition. International revenge would certainly appear a just ending for the LPL team.
Crucial to their victory was ADC Ruler, who seemed unshakable amidst even the most chaotic fights. Rivalled only by T1’s Zeus in the top lane, Ruler denied T1 success at almost every turn. Game five was defined by his ability to survive even the most overwhelming of onslaughts from T1, often surviving long enough to aggressively retaliate.
JDG’s opponents in the final are yet to be determined, with either BLG or GenG facing T1 to advance.
However, JDG’s support player Missing has revealed the team’s prediction for whom they will face in the final: none other than the rematch of the season against T1 once more.
A rematch would certainly make for an incredible final, especially given the intensity of competition seen in the upper bracket from the two teams. Until then, T1 must win one more series to secure their retaliation against JDG. Will it happen? We’ll be there this weekend, either way.
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Hannah is a writer specialising in the esports, gaming, and technology sectors. Working for companies such as Lionscreed Esports, Esports Insider, and SideQuest Hub she has developed a love for wider esports and Apex Legends, although it may never surpass her drive to passionately beat her friends in every game of Mariokart. You may have seen her at various esports and gaming events, including ESI London, EGX, Discover: Esports and many League of Legends watch parties.
