T1 Secure Last-Minute Worlds 2025 Spot After Defeating Dplus KIA

T1's drama reputation is still solid as the "League of Legends" titans secured their Worlds 2025 slot at the eleventh hour.

During the LCK Season Playoffs, T1 eliminated Dplus KIA 3–1 during Lower Bracket Round 2 to book their Worlds berth through a dominant fourth game that had viewers hooked to their screens.

A Risky Pick Backfires for Dplus

T1 Secure Last-Minute Worlds 2025 Spot After Defeating Dplus KIA

The tide shifted in Game 4 when Dplus picked up Geon-hee "BeryL" Cho's surprise pick of rare support Rammus, the first-ever in LCK history. The risk proved ill-fated. Following an early meltdown that resulted in first blood, Moon "Oner" Hyeon-joon's Sylas gained momentum uncontrollably,

By the 18-minute mark, T1 had built a dominant 10,000 gold lead. Dplus briefly struck back by catching Sang-hyeok "Faker" Lee's Annie, but the ensuing fight swung heavily in T1's favor, securing Baron control and sealing the series.

Why Was T1 Qualified So Late

The T1 was poor all summer before limping over the qualification line. The roster appeared stronger this year, but it's still far from their 2024 performance. Nevertheless, the reasons why they again left it late to qualify are multifaceted.

Fiercer LCK Competition

The 2025 LCK season has been the most competitive ever. Hanwha Life Esports (HLE) and Gen.G dominated early on, but KT Rolster became legitimate contenders with their shocking 3–2 series win over MSI champions Gen.G. HLE, featuring former T1 top laner Choi "Zeus" Woo-je and Worlds champion Park "Viper" Do-hyeon, were equally as strong. With so many rosters loaded with talent, the room for error dropped considerably.

Inconsistency in Play

Even when they were strong, T1 continued to display moments of inconsistency, GosuGamers reports. Dubious drafts and off-days for individual players enabled competitors to take advantage. That fickleness once again kept followers in suspense until the last challenge.

New Playoff Format

To add to the pressure, the playoff format this year eliminated the buffer of the Regional Finals. With Gen.G already heading to Worlds due to MSI and KT and HLE both qualifying from the Upper Bracket, T1's only path was via Lower Bracket Round 2. Their lives were solely based on defeating Dplus—and they did just that.