by in
In a dramatic showdown at the LCK Regional Finals, Dplus KIA secured their spot as the Korean league’s third seed for the LoL World Championship after a thrilling 3-2 victory over T1.
The series marked Dplus KIA’s first win against T1 this year, breaking T1’s perfect 6-0 record in their 2023 meetings.
The win also ended Heo “ShowMaker” Su’s 15-match losing streak against Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok and T1, with ShowMaker earning MVP honours for his standout performances, especially in the decisive game five, where his LeBlanc was crucial in clinching the victory.
The match held even more significance for Dplus KIA’s rookie jungler, Choi “Lucid” Yong-hyeok.
In his debut LCK season, Lucid not only helped secure his team’s World Championship qualification but also earned the “Rookie of the Year” title, solidifying his position as one of the brightest new talents heading into the global stage.
WELCOME TO #WORLDS2024:
Congratulations to @DplusKIA on qualifying for the 2024 League of Legends World Championship! pic.twitter.com/OgwHdiTU6j
— LoL Esports (@lolesports) September 12, 2024
Despite T1 taking a 2-1 lead after game three, the team faltered in the final two games.
A controversial decision saw Faker, who had been dominant on Yone, switched to Corki, limiting his playmaking potential.
Dplus KIA capitalised on T1’s struggles, ultimately winning the 192-minute series, which was filled with back-and-forth mistakes and counterplays on both sides.
With this defeat, T1, who is the reigning World Champion, is on the brink of missing Worlds for the first time in the team’s storied history.
Their last chance to qualify comes on Saturday, September 14th, where they will face the winner of KT Rolster and BNK FearX.
KT Rolster and FearX will battle on Friday, September 13th, to determine who will challenge T1 in the final match for the LCK’s fourth and last Worlds seed.
