JD Gaming’s journey on “The Golden Road” has come to an end as they were defeated 3-1 by Faker’s T1 in an intense semifinal at the League of Legends Worlds 2023. T1’s victory secures a home team for fans to support in the upcoming grand final, with the LCK second-seed aiming for the Summoner’s Cup.
This marks T1’s sixth appearance in the Worlds final, with the Korean organization seeking its fourth major trophy since its establishment over a decade ago, formerly known as SK Telecom T1. Faker, who delivered an outstanding performance in the series against JDG, is also vying for his fourth Summoner’s Cup.
Expressing his determination, T1 top laner Zeus stated on stage, “Last year I experienced a heartbreaking loss, but this time I can make up for it,” referencing their performance in last year’s Worlds final against DRX. T1 had pushed DRX to five games but fell short of securing victory. This time, they will face Weibo Gaming in the final, having defeated every LPL seed in their home Worlds journey.
In the series against JDG, T1 demonstrated dominance in the opener, with Zeus’ Aatrox and Oner’s rotations securing a victory in 24 minutes. Despite JDG’s comeback in the second game led by 369’s K’Sante, T1 regained control in the third game, propelled by Keria’s impactful play on Renata Glasc. Faker’s remarkable Azir Flash into ultimate combo set the tone for T1’s march to victory in the remaining games, preventing the series from going to five.
The viewership for T1’s triumph reached 4,308,901, marking the second-highest viewership for a League professional series in the history of the esport, according to Esports Charts. Although it falls short of the 2022 peak record of just over 5.1 million concurrent viewers, anticipation for the upcoming grand final against Weibo couldn’t be higher.
Zeus expressed his determination to leave no regrets this time, emphasizing T1’s commitment to facing Weibo in the Worlds 2023 grand final, scheduled to kick off at 3 am CT on Nov. 19.