KT Rolster and T1’s unbelievable clash at LoL Worlds 2025

From KT Rolster’s undefeated Swiss Stage to T1’s unbelievable comeback in the Grand Final, Worlds 2025 was a month-long sprint of upsets and milestones across Beijing, Shanghai, and finally Chengdu.

The opening week set the tone immediately. Fan favorites stumbled early, including several LPL contenders expected to dominate on home soil. Instead, KT Rolster emerged as the first major surprise of the tournament, cruising through the Swiss Stage with a clean 3–0 record. Their aggressive read on the evolving meta, shaped heavily by the new Fearless Draft rules, caught teams off guard and positioned KT as a legitimate title threat.

Three In A Row

Meanwhile, T1 entered Worlds under enormous pressure. Despite winning back-to-back championships in 2023 and 2024, their form in the latter half of the 2025 season, including a third place finish at League of Legends at Esports World Cup 2025 in Riyadh, left analysts unsure whether the dynasty had stretched too far. But once the lights of Worlds hit, T1 shifted into a higher gear. They carved through the Swiss Stage with confidence, then raised their level again in the Knockouts with a measured, veteran adaptability that has defined their era.

By semifinals weekend in Shanghai, it became clear that the LCK was on another tier. Gen.G, KT Rolster, and T1 all advanced to the top four, marking one of the region’s strongest showings in years. KT’s run in particular electrified fans. It was a long-awaited resurgence for a historic organization that had never reached a Worlds Final until now.

The Grand Final in Chengdu delivered exactly what the narrative demanded: T1 vs. KT Rolster, an iconic rivalry in Korean League of Legends history, now playing out on the biggest stage in the world. And they delivered a five-game classic.

A Gripping Grand Final

KT struck first, then traded blows with T1 in a back-and-forth series filled with clutch Baron flips, high-risk drafts, and breakout performances from KT’s young solo laners. At one point, KT led the series 2–1 and looked poised to complete one of the greatest underdog runs in Worlds history.

But this was T1 — and T1 rarely folds on championship weekend.

Lee "Gumayusi" Min-hyung took over Game 4 in a Finals-MVP level performance, stabilizing the series with surgical teamfighting. Faker, playing in his record-setting seventh Worlds Final, anchored the team’s macro in the decisive Game 5. And when the Nexus fell, T1 had completed the reverse sweep, securing a 3–2 win and their sixth World Championship.

With that victory, T1 became the first team in League of Legends history to win three straight Worlds titles, cementing their place as the greatest dynasty ever assembled.

Worlds 2025 closed with T1 completing an unprecedented three-peat, but their year also ran through Riyadh for League of Legends at Esports World Cup 2025. After a long season and a grueling MSI earlier in the year, EWC became the proving ground for the world’s best teams to measure their mid-year form. T1 showed the consistency and late-game discipline that would eventually define their Worlds run.

Now, all eyes shift to the Esports World Cup 2026. T1 will return looking to reclaim a title they narrowly missed in Riyadh, while the global field arrives with a full year of growth and practice. If 2025 showed how tight the margins have become at the top, EWC 2026 is shaping up to be the next major test of who can rise above in a rapidly evolving League of Legends landscape.