Foreword: The S16 season matches have officially begun, and I believe most players have been following the recent competitions. The LCK region has entered the final stage of contention. No one expected the second encounter between HLE and T1 to be so one-sided, almost a complete domination. Faker has now suffered six consecutive league losses against HLE; the last time he won a league title was in the S12 season. In the post-match interview, he clearly stated that his current form is not perfect and he aims to achieve better results at the World Championship. Zeus has repeatedly proven the T1 management wrong with his performance.

Faker's six consecutive league losses against HLE

I believe most players are also very focused on the LCK. In recent years, the overall performance of the LCK has been outstanding, consistently dominating the LPL on the world stage year after year. Every participating team has championship potential. With the World Championship spots confirmed, the LCK has entered the final stage of its championship race. The second match between HLE and T1 drew a lot of attention, but no one expected it to be so one-sided. In the first game, HLE maintained a steady tempo early on; Zeka's Ryze repeatedly used his ultimate to flank and catch T1 off guard. After a fierce 48-minute battle, they secured the Chemtech Dragon Soul and pushed through to destroy T1's base.

In the second game, T1 had a small early lead, but during the crucial mid-game teamfight, Peyz's Ahri was too aggressive. Although Lulu's ultimate saved him the first time, there was no room to maneuver the second time. Eventually, Zeus's Galio turned the tide with a key taunt, leading his team to a comeback.

In the third game, HLE had a significant early advantage. Peyz's Zeri was taken down multiple times in teamfights. Just when everyone thought T1 was out of the game, top laner Doran's K'Sante stepped up. With a crucial teleport flank, he managed to solo kill Gumayusi despite being surrounded by four enemies. T1 counterattacked, securing a 1-for-4 trade and claiming the Baron buff. Despite being 6,000 gold behind, they completed the comeback.

In the fourth game, it seemed T1 had issues with their draft. Their three core carries were all scaling champions: Jax, Azir, and Jinx—all late-game picks with no way to initiate fights early on. This was probably the least competitive game of the entire BO5. Kanavi's Cho'Gath was eating enemies one by one by the end, not giving T1 any chance to stall. HLE cruised to victory and secured their spot in the LCK finals, while T1 automatically became the LCK's third seed.

After the match, Faker answered many questions in the interview, stating that he failed to show his best form during the playoffs but will have more time to prepare for the World Championship and aims to perform better there. It does feel like Faker's form has declined significantly this year. As a 30-year-old veteran, it's already impressive that he continues to compete. This year, T1 was completely dominated by HLE in all league BO5s, and they have now lost six consecutive matches against HLE in the league. The last time Faker won a league title was the 2022 Spring Split, which was 1,625 days ago.

Zaijian's take:

No one expected such a huge gap between T1 and HLE. It feels like this year, not only the LPL but also the LCK has serious internal issues. Gen.G and HLE are on a similar level, while the remaining teams are in another tier. From this perspective, the LPL still has a chance, especially since BLG is in a league of its own. Their final opponent is likely to be one of these two teams. If they adjust their mentality well, who knows, our fourth championship might just arrive.

What do you, dear viewers, think about this?