After falling to Gen.G ten consecutive times, T1 finally emerged victorious where it mattered the most.
In the most anticipated matchup of the year, South Korean League of Legends (LoL) juggernauts T1 and Gen.G squared off in the second semifinal of the League of Legends World Championship 2024 for a spot in the grand finals. Ultimately, T1 emerged victorious with a 3-1 series win to advance to their third-straight Worlds grand finals against China's Bilibili Gaming.
The rivalry between Gen.G and T1 is one of the most storied in LoL's history, with intense battles dating back to 2020. Gen.G have largely held the upper hand since the Summer of 2022, consistently prevailing over T1 in crucial moments, including a tense 3-2 win in the 2023 Spring Finals and their first international title at the Mid-Season Invitational.
This year, Gen.G continued to challenge T1’s ambitions by winning every single encounter they had on the domestic stage.
At Worlds 2024, both teams came in strong. Gen.G stormed through the Swiss Stage undefeated, while T1 secured their Knockout Stage spot with a 3-1 finish. In the quarterfinals, T1 swept LPL powerhouse Top Esports 3-0, while Gen.G narrowly defeated LCS first seed FlyQuest 3-2 to advance to the semifinals.
In the series opener, Gen.G stumbled with early game dives, giving T1 the lead. T1 capitalised on this by spreading pressure across the map and gradually gaining control. Despite Gen.G’s resilience in skirmishes, T1 secured a Baron, dominating the map. After a tense 30-minute showdown, T1 closed the game with an 11-6 kill lead, acing Gen.G in a final team fight to take the series lead.
Gen.G bounced back in Game 2, establishing an early lead with crucial kills in the laning phase. They maintained control throughout, preventing T1’s champions from scaling effectively. A well-timed pick at the Baron pit led to a decisive play, and Gen.G secured the second game after 27 minutes with a dominant 12-1 kill count, levelling the series 1-1.
In Game 3, both teams opted for compositions tailored to their strengths, incorporating high-damage, dive-focused champions. Gen.G gained an early lead by catching out Choi “Zeus” Woo-je, but T1 quickly regrouped, winning successive team fights and securing map control. As T1 snowballed, Gen.G struggled to keep pace, ultimately falling behind in skirmishes. T1 dismantled Gen.G’s base after a 31-minute encounter with a commanding 20-3 kill lead, bringing them to match point.
For the fourth game, both teams revisited some iconic LCK Summer picks, with Tristana making a return. T1 took the early lead, with Ryu “Keria” Min-seok forcing out Gen.G’s summoner spells, slowing down Gen.G's jungler Canyon in the process. T1 continued to dominate, knocking down turrets and claiming objectives to build a strong gold advantage.
Gen.G found a glimmer of hope with a team fight victory at the Dragon pit, allowing them to secure Baron and equalise the gold difference. However, as the Baron buff expired, Gen.G misplayed in the mid lane, and T1 capitalised on the error, winning the ensuing team fight. After a 33-minute clash and a 15-9 kill lead, T1 demolished Gen.G’s Nexus, sealing the series and their place in the Worlds 2024 finals.
This victory marks T1’s first series win against Gen.G after a gruelling ten consecutive losses, highlighting a significant turning point in their rivalry. With this triumph, T1 advance to the grand finals, where they’ll compete for the World Championship title against Bilibili Gaming.
Meanwhile, Gen.G bow out of the competition in 3rd-4th place, taking home $178,000 in consolation.
