How T1 Built the Exodia Roster

Video Statistics and Information

Video
Captions Word Cloud
Reddit Comments
Captions
Documentary Script: How 4 Rookies  Won Faker His 4th World Championship   I. INTRODUCTION [2018] NARRATION (VO): “It’s Summer   of 2018.” [short pause] “Worlds is right around  the corner. Yet T1, then called SK Telecom T1,   had just subbed out their star player, Lee “Faker”  Sang-hyeok, for the first time in two years.”   …: “In Season 8, T1 had their worst placing as  an organization in their history of competing in   the LCK, finishing 7th with a subpar 8-10 record.  It was a year marked with the lowest of the lows   as Faker struggled to be the rock that SKT used  to rely on all the while veteran teammates like   Bang and Wolf suffered from burnout after years  of performing at the highest level in SKT.”   NARRATION (VO): “Despite the team’s efforts, SKT’s  last flicker of hope would soon be squashed in a   one-sided Game Five against Gen.G in the Regional  Qualifiers taking away all hopes the team had for   redemption in Worlds 2018.” …: “But wait a minute.”   [Short pause] NARRATION (VO): “Didn’t Faker just do this?”   …: “With their Worlds run this season, Faker  has cemented his legacy as the greatest player   in League of Legends history after being the only  player to not only win four world championships,   but do it almost a decade apart from each other.” …: ”But that year, in 2018, doubts were cast on   the veteran mid laner for his inconsistent  performances all year long. Rumors were   even coming along that he might finally  be leaving the team to retire in NA.”   …: “So, what changed?” …: “Well, as much as we would   have loved to say that Faker singlehandedly  carried the team to their fourth Worlds win   and everybody lived happily ever after,  this story actually isn’t about Faker.”   NARRATION (VO): “Let me tell you the story  of the four rookies that would help Faker   rebuild the dynasty of SKT.” II. THE LAST OF SKT [2019]   NARRATION (VO): “T1’s climb back  to the top has been years in the   making. And to rise, one must first fall.” …: “In the aftermath of their 2018 season,   T1 decided to all-in on building a team that  could once again win it all, recruiting only   the best talent in each role. A superteam with  historic names in the LCK like Khan and Mata.   …: ”Khan, despite never having won an  international title, is considered to be among the   best top laners in the history of the game on par  with legends like Nuguri and TheShy. Mata, on the   other hand, was a part of the championship team  who many consider to be one of the strongest World   Champions in League’s history, Samsung White.” …: “And at the start, the team looked good. Across   Spring and Summer, T1 proved that they were  just better than the competition convincingly   taking down then-rivals Griffin for the  regular season trophy. But when it really   mattered, that’s when the team fell apart.” …: “The legendary roster wasn’t enough to stop   G2 Esports with both Perkz and Caps at their prime  and innovating with their off-meta picks. Once at   MSI, against a double mage bot lane and top lane  Pyke and a second time at Worlds, against Perkz   and Mikyx’s iconic Yasuo-Gragas bot lane.” …: “In those losses, Faker was outshone by   his rival mid, Caps on every point and the team  was a step behind the curve when it came down to   it. The way things were, despite all the changes,  SKT was still not in a position to win and redeem   their name. So, for better or for worse, they  had to let go of everything they knew and go   back to the drawing board.” III. A NEW CHAPTER IN T1:   THE FIRST PIECE OF THE PUZZLE [2020] NARRATION (VO): “In 2020, SKT had traded in their   old look and was now going by just T1. And with  that overhaul came a lot of changes that would   completely restructure how the team was run.” …: “For starters, long-time coach kkOma left   the organization in 2019 after being  with the team for 7 long years. This   would inevitably change the  team’s approach to the game   with an all-new coaching staff in charge.” …: “Of which, would allow one of our rookies to   finally enter the fray later on in the season.” …: “In 2020, or what we will now refer to as the   start of the T1 era, the organization saw  a moment of success in Spring finishing   first in the playoffs with a lineup made up of  veterans alongside a promising rookie in Canna.”   …: “Yet, come summer, the team started to  struggle once more with Spring playoffs   MVP Cuzz subbing out for rookie jungler Ellim  and Faker even being taken out once more for a   ‘more promising’ rookie mid laner in Clozer.  Add to that rumors behind the scenes on how   players like Faker and Teddy were disagreeing  on how they fundamentally approached the game,   signs were pointing that T1 was stumbling to  find its footing ahead of regional finals.”   [pause] …: “So, they finally put in the first   to come of the new generation of T1, Gumayusi.” …: “Gumayusi first played for T1 in the team’s   last yet most important series of the  year in the LCK Regional Finals 2020.”   …: “But who was this rookie that  just took Teddy’s spot in the most   crucial time of the competitive season?” …: “Gumayusi was a marksman even respected   by pros in solo queue since he reached  Challenger at the age of 15. He started   as a trainee for T1 the year after in 2018  after much encouragement from his father,   partly because his brother, StarCraft legend  INnoVation, also played for SKT in his olden days   and wanted Gumayusi to only play for the best.” …: “Nevertheless, it took Guma three long years   before he could step up to the plate and play for  T1 on the main stage. But when he did, he made   heads turn with an impressive, lane-dominant  9/0/8 Caitlyn pick that helped secure their   first victory in their gauntlet run.’ …: “And while the team would go on to lose   against Gen. G 0-3 and fail to qualify  for Worlds, the tournament provided T1   a blueprint of how they could move forward  into the next season with a more proactive,   early-game centric approach that Gumayusi’s laning  prowess provided them in the regional finals.”   IV. A NEW CHAPTER IN T1 PT. II [2021] NARRATION (VO): “In the hopes of finding the   perfect balance of players for this newfound style  of play, T1 decided to invest into experimenting   with a 10-man roster for the 2021 season.” …: “But, despite having a 10-man roster, T1 only   had one Support for the coming season, Keria.” …: “Keria, among his teammates Zeus, Guma,   and Oner, was the earliest to debut in the  LCK in 2020 with DragonX. In his first year,   the rookie had big shoes to fill being partnered  with a legend like Deft in the bottom lane.”   …: “Yet, despite all the pressure, Keria came  out swinging with a confidence that you would   only see in storied veterans. He was more than  capable playing traditional supports like Thresh   or Yuumi and could also throw off opponents  with off meta picks like Sett, Pantheon,   and even Kayle if the situation called for it.” …: “And that was exactly what T1 needed in the   bot lane. An innovator with strong laning who  could push the team and help unlock Gumayusi’s   potential. To go even further, Keria would win  Support of the Year in the LCK and be the only   member of the T1 2021 roster to be part of  the spring AND summer all-LCK first team.”   …: “As the year grew on and Worlds came closer,  it became clearer and clearer that Gumayusi and   Keria was a match made in heaven and together,  they became a force to be reckoned with as their   synergy grew with every game they played.” …: “In the midst of this, T1 still had yet   to decide on a jungler whether to stick with  Ellim, Cuzz, or go with a newer recruit, Oner.”   …: “Even after only playing under half of the  regular season games in spring and summer,   T1 had decided to put their faith into rookie  jungler Oner for the Summer Playoffs.”   …: “Oner was the newest recruit to T1 yet got to  play on the main roster almost immediately upon   the recommendation of their mid laner, Clozer.” …: “Oner was a certified Lee Sin main, cocky,   arrogant, but backed it all up with his mechanics.  But what was most important was that he slotted   into the already-existing roster perfectly,  matching his fellow rookies’ aggression. Heading   into Week 6 of the spring season, Oner would  begin to prove that he was the real deal with   a flashy engage that was a stark contrast from  the style of play that Cuzz and Teddy brought   to the team up until they were benched.” …: “Oner was the kind of jungler that T1   had so desperately wanted for years with a high  ceiling to boot, given it was just his rookie   year. And even if Oner only had a short amount  of time to build synergy with his solo lanes,   he was still able to carry the team in Game  5 of the Finals of Regionals to qualify T1   for Worlds 2021 as the last seed of the LCK.” …: “In spite of it all, T1’s Band-Aid roster of   Canna-Oner-Faker-Gumayusi-Keria made it all  the way to the semifinals of Worlds 2021.   They demolished groups with a 5-1 record,  swept HLE, and were now one game away from   making their way back to the world finals.” …: “It was all too short-lived however as DK   dashed T1’s hopes in Game 5 of the semifinals  with another tailor-made composition to counter   the squad. Outranged and outlasted, T1  had to go home empty-handed once again.”   …: “But that didn’t mean that the year  was a complete waste. If anything,   T1 had learned their ‘formula’ and was one step  away from figuring it all out. All they needed   was one last piece of the puzzle…” V. ZOFGK: COMPLETED [2022]   NARRATION (VO): “Shortly after, T1 announced  in November that Canna will not be re-signing   with the org in the coming year, leaving  their top lane wide open for the taking.”   …: ”At that time, Oner, Faker, Gumayusi, and Keria  had already established their synergy from their   time together in Worlds. With Canna gone, they  needed someone who could not only replace him,   but elevate the team to the next level.” …: “The decision would be undisputed. In   the face of rumors that TheShy will be  heading to T1, the organization would   confirm that Zeus will be joining the main  roster as the sole top laner heading into   2022 – finally completing the five-man of ZOFGK.” …: “Wooje or Zeus is the youngest of the roster.   But, is arguably the most mechanically  gifted of the newcomers having not one,   but three Challenger accounts at the age of  15. After being scouted by T1 in the same year,   he would win his first open tournament in  the LCK AS 2020 Season alongside Oner.”   …: “His mechanics spoke for themselves on the  Rift and even before he knew it, the top laner   was already called on to play for the main  squad the year after in 2020. Even Showmaker,   considered to be one of the best players at the  time after his Worlds 2020 win, was lauding him as   a player to watch before his pro debut in 2021.” …: “Zeus was a rookie brimming with potential,   and despite the short amount of  playtime he had in Season 11,   he showed promise and still had a lot  of upside left to be developed.”   [pause] …: “With the roster now complete,   all of a sudden…It finally clicked.” …: “T1 would go on to make their most   dominant run in the LCK’s history, beating their  previous winstreak record of 14 straight wins.   The team looked confident, poised, unbeatable,  like a well-oiled machine that knew how to win   from every point of the game.” …: “But, the real challenges for   this roster were just about to begin.” …: “After their first win, again and again,   no matter how well they seemed to be performing,  they could never close out a series. 3-2 against   RNG, 3-2 against DRX, 3-2 against JDG (upper  bracket finals). The team’s losses were starting   to get to them and it showed, loss after loss.” …: “This roster, who broke records and went 18-0   in spring, had a chance of going down as  the best team to have never won anything.   Even after committing to staying together  in 2023, the team was still lost on the ‘x   factor’ they needed to finally win a title.  Now, for, perhaps, one last time together,   they had one chance to overcome their demons and  achieve something much greater than themselves.”   VI. VICTORY NARRATION (VO): “In what could have been   their last run together, the pressure couldn’t  have been any higher in the Summer of ‘23.   Faker’s wrist is injured and T1 looks absolutely  lost without their shotcaller in the mid lane.   But thanks to their early wins in the season,  they still managed to qualify for playoffs,   giving them enough time for Faker to recover.” …: “It’s at this time that questions arose of   how competitive T1 was going to be with Faker  coming off an injury and a team that looked so   lackluster all split-long, with or without him. ..: “But as everyone’s learned over the past   decade, you can never count T1 out.” …: “Despite another grueling loss   against rival Gen. G in the finals, T1 earned  themselves space to breathe before Worlds 2023,   and that was all the time the team  needed to regroup and rethink just   meant that they had nothing left to lose.” …: “Despite all his years of competition,   this was Faker’s first Worlds in  Korea and what many thought to   be his last chance of winning his 4th title.” …: “T1 had to climb the ranks and prove themselves   stage after stage. Their struggle against TL in  the first round, alongside another loss to Gen.G   in the second round, had fans worried about the  team’s form heading into the rest of Worlds.”   …: “But, a convincing win against  C9, and then BLG, gave hope for   their chances in the playoffs against LNG.” …: “Unfortunately for the rest of the competition,   T1 completely switched gears in playoffs.” …: “T1 changed the meta entirely countering the   status quo of Xayah and Kai’sa in the bot lane  that teams like LNG and JDG were so adept at.   They forced teams to adapt to their playstyle  or lose without contest. Bard, for example,   countered Xayah so well, who without flash or  featherstorm, becomes a sitting duck. Before they   even knew what hit them, it was already over.” …: “T1 was not meant to reach this far. Especially   against JDG, a team that was built for and was  well on the way to reaching a grand slam. This   win meant so much to T1 and the LCK and it  was the kind of win they needed to boost   their confidence coming into the finals.” …: “It was as Faker said, all roads lead back   to him. And just like that, T1 was now back in the  finals. Against all odds, against an entire region   that was predicted to win it all, back in the same  position they found themselves in last year.”   …: “Heading into the finals, T1 knew they had  to approach the series differently. It was more   of a battle within themselves that they had  to face. And that is exactly what they did,   they came into the series with the  mentality of champions, focusing on playing   their best game rather than simply ‘winning’” …: “They were one step away from redemption. From   victory that had eluded them for so, so long.” …: “But this time, they were ready.”   VII. CLOSING …: “Finally, they had done it.   After seven, long years, Faker has done it, and  T1 are once again world champions. And this time,   with a new generation of players that have  stayed by his side for the past two years,   unwavering until their goal has been reached.” …: “These rookies once watched Faker lift the   trophy when they were still in grade  school. To Zeus, Oner, Guma, and Keria,   Faker was their idol and they wanted to  rebuild and be a part of the legacy of T1.”   …: “By playing their own picks,  growing individually as players,   and performing at the highest level of play  so consistently over the past years, they have   earned their spot to stand alongside Faker with  the honor of being called a World Champion.”   [pause as fade to black] …: “But as it is in esports,   it doesn’t end there.” …: “These ‘rookies’ still   have a long way to go if they want to catch up  to the prestige that only Faker possesses and   that starts in 2024, as the entire team has  decided to re-sign for the upcoming season   with the added signing of kKoma as head coach.” …: ”Now entering their third year as starters,   which is a feat no team has ever accomplished  with this much success, the organization and   maybe even more so, its players, hope to rebuild  the dynasty of T1 one championship at a time.”   …: “For now, they can finally  take their bow and rest easy,   knowing that they finally broke the curse and have  entered the hall of fame as world champions.”
Info
Channel: LoLAthlete
Views: 349,833
Rating: undefined out of 5
Keywords: t1 lol, t1 lol documentary, lolathlete, 최우제, 문현준, 이상혁, 이민형), 류민석)
Id: H9Esy_mBuo0
Channel Id: undefined
Length: 19min 1sec (1141 seconds)
Published: Sat Feb 03 2024
Related Videos
Note
Please note that this website is currently a work in progress! Lots of interesting data and statistics to come.