For a moment, it looked like T1 were going to crash out of the LCK Summer split early. With Faker sidelined with an arm injury, the perennial LCK contenders went 3-7 across the final 10 games of the regular season. That saw them finish fifth with a 9-9 record. While Faker was able to return for the regular season finale on August 4, it was a scary time for the team. However, despite qualifying for the playoffs, Faker's absence had put them in a bad position. They would now need to survive a do-or-die best-of-five against an equally underperforming Dplus. The loser would be sent straight to the Regional Finals.
In the end, it appeared that they had little to worry about. T1 dispatched Dplus 3-1 to secure a minimum of fourth place in the league. The result allowed T1 to maintain their slim lead in the championship points standings. This will be crucial in determining seeding for the Regional Finals, as well as automatic qualification for Worlds. The two automatic qualifications spots from the LCK go to the Summer champion and the season's championship points leader. T1 currently has 120 points, 20 points ahead of third-place KT Rolster.
Read More: Worlds 2023 hub
Faker Addresses Injury
In the post-game press conference, Faker was asked about his injury. “I’m playing with a posture that allows me to be free from those main symptoms,” he said. "It’s getting better, and I’m still adjusting to the posture. I’m slowly building my game up.” Furthermore, Faker said he was hoping to face off against Chinese first seed JDG if T1 makes it to Worlds. JDG eliminated T1 at MSI earlier this year on their way to the tournament title. Meanwhile, T1 dominated JDG in the semifinals of Worlds 2022.
T1's next match will be against KT Rolster on August 10. A win would not only secure T1 a top-three finish, but it would also widen the championship points gap between the two sides. At the time of writing, the only region to have finalized its Worlds participants is China. The LPL will be represented by JDG, Bilibili Gaming, LNG, and Weibo Gaming. Furthermore, Worlds 2023 is currently scheduled to take place in South Korea between mid-October and mid-November.
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