The League of Legends community is in an uproar following T1’s elimination from the first international event of 2025, a situation largely attributed to changes in the tournament’s format that disadvantaged their performance despite a stellar regular season.
The introduction of the LCK Cup aims to streamline regular-season play, essential for navigating the league’s packed schedule leading up to the three major international tournaments this year, including the EWC. This new setup is designed to accelerate the season’s opening months, but it has sparked significant controversy among teams and fans alike.
Notably, T1, if victorious against Hanwha Life Esports, could have remained in contention. However, the restructured format resulted in two of the LCK’s strongest teams facing off in the lower playoff bracket for their first elimination. Consequently, T1’s early exit from the First Stand is particularly shocking, especially considering their previous World Championship victories in 2023 and 2024, which has incited a fierce backlash from their fanbase.
The Fallout from T1’s Early Elimination
The LCK Cup format has left many questioning its fairness. Here’s how it operates:
- The ten teams in the league are divided into two groups.
- Each team engages in best-of-three matches against all five teams in the opposing group.
- Performance in these matches dictates their points tally: teams can earn up to 2 points for a 2-0 victory or forfeit up to 2 points for a 0-2 defeat.
This setup placed T1 in a disadvantageous group, forcing them to contend with lower-performing teams and locking them into a lower seed position—factors beyond their control.
Achieving a flawless run—winning every match in the best-of-three scenarios—was the only path available for T1 to alter their unfortunate bracket placement. This raised frustrations, especially as fans branded the new format as a “disgrace, ”allowing weaker teams to advance further in the competition.
Rich, the founder of H2K, did not hold back, stating, “This is the worst and most unfair format I have seen in the history of esports.” He emphasized that T1 and HLE being forced to eliminate each other, despite both being top contenders, was absurd.
T1 or HLE had to be eliminated before playoffs because OTHER teams in their group suck? This is the worst and most unfair format I have seen in the history of esports. Honestly, a complete disgrace, denying us more epic series with T1, who are clearly a top 3 team #LCKCup
— Rich (@RichsWrath) February 13, 2025
Another T1 supporter, streamer Feviknight, expressed disappointment, stating, “Now we don’t have T1 playing until April (2 months of no games) because we lost one best of five. WTF.”
This matchup held extra weight as T1 faced Zeus, who recently transitioned to Hanwha Life Esports, and his remarkable performance significantly impacted T1’s fate. The controversy surrounding his departure only added to the emotional weight of the defeat.
Sadly for fans, this loss means that Faker will miss the inaugural First Stand—a new international event designed to showcase the best team from each region to kick off the competitive year.
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