In the grand final of the 2024 League of Legends Worlds, T1 won against Bilibili Gaming after an intense Bo5. With this 3-2, the Korean team, reigning world champion, retains its throne and adds a fifth world title to its record.
a high-tension Bo5, and a 5th title for the Korean team
After several days of break, the Main Event of the 2024 League of Legends Worlds returns for the third and final round of the playoffs, with the long-awaited clash of the grand final. It was at the O2 Arena in London, in a charged atmosphere, that T1 (reigning champion and seed 4 of the LCK) and Bilibili Gaming (seed 1 of the LPL and double champion of the LPL) competed for the title supreme. T1 is aiming for a fifth world title, while Bilibili Gaming aims to win its first world champion trophy. Here is the detailed summary of this historic confrontation, marked by well-honed strategies, spectacular plays, and unparalleled intensity.
Some 1
The first round of this final gets off to a flying start, with an aggressive initiative from Bilibili Gaming (BLG), which hits hard from the first seconds by obtaining first blood even before the start of the laning phase. This tactical choice, well executed, places T1 in a defensive position from the start, forced to endure pressure in each exchange. BLG set their pace by exploiting every opportunity to secure neutral objectives, allowing them to maintain a slight advantage in terms of golds during the first ten minutes. For their part, T1, led by Zeus on Gnar, is trying to reorganize and gradually extinguish the BLG dynamic.
A well-orchestrated play on the toplane brings T1 back into the game, opening their kill counter and suggesting a possible comeback. However, in the 16th minute, BLG capitalized on a positioning error from T1 to trigger a decisive teamfight, largely winning the exchange and taking a serious advantage by destroying the first midlane turret. This teamfight allows BLG to consolidate its lead, and with Nashor secured in the 25th minute, the Chinese team takes advantage of its advantage to lead a relentless breakthrough into the T1 base, concluding this first game in 27 minutes. This start of the series exposes the weaknesses of T1, still in the adaptation phase, facing a BLG team which is methodical and flawless in its strategic approach.
Some 2
T1 enters the second set with a vengeful spirit, looking to even the score and regain control of the series. As in the first round, BLG adopted an aggressive style, quickly collecting first blood before the lanes began. This aggressiveness pushes T1 to its limits, but this time, the Koreans are quick to react. A decisive play on the topside allows T1 to get back on track barely five minutes after the start of the game. This action marks a turning point: the Korean team manages to reverse the dynamic by leading a daring dive in the 8th minute, turning in their favor after a complex engagement. This play launches T1, who gradually takes control of the map and widens the gap in golds, accumulating resources while BLG focuses on the botside, securing the first dragon.
In the 16th minute, a teamfight broke out for the Herald challenge, which T1 won by a wide margin, further increasing its advantage. Thanks to this victory, T1 is ideally positioned to control the neutral objectives, with a lead of 6k golds after the 20th minute. Recovering the Nashor buff, T1 began a massive push, infiltrating BLG's base and capitalizing on their lead to conclude the round in the 27th minute. This comeback from T1 shows their ability to adjust their strategy and punish BLG's mistakes, thus leveling the score at 1-1.
Some 3
The third round marks a new chapter in this tense duel, with BLG adjusting and regaining the lead. The start of the game is calmer, with a swap lanes that surprises T1, leaving BLG to recover a crucial first blood. This strategic choice places BLG in a favorable position from the start of the game. Thanks to increased lane control and rigorous vision play, BLG quickly opened a gap in golds, taking the initiative in every exchange. T1, for its part, adopts a more defensive approach, banking on scaling its composition to slow BLG's progress. But BLG maintains constant pressure, seeking to exploit every loophole.
In the 22nd minute, T1 attempts a risky pick-up, but BLG anticipates perfectly and turns the situation to its advantage, winning a decisive teamfight and securing Nashor. With this buff, BLG rams T1's base with a relentless push, destroying turrets and inhibitors without faltering. A final teamfight in the Korean base sealed the fate of this game, giving BLG a clean victory and their first match point of the series. BLG's strategy, marked by constant pressure and perfect control of objectives, put T1 in great difficulty, forcing them to find new solutions.
Some 4
One round from defeat, T1 faces the pressure and comes back strong, carried by its emblematic captain Faker. Playing on Sylas, Faker leaves his mark on this part, reaching a symbolic milestone with more than 500 kills in Worlds. BLG starts the game with its usual aggressiveness, recovering first blood following a well-executed botlane dive. However, T1 responds with a gradual stabilization of the map, securing essential resources such as the dragon and Void Larvae. The game changed in the 13th minute, when a teamfight broke out on the botside. T1 emerges victorious, thus obtaining a first turret, a dragon, and the Herald.
This takeover allows T1 to dominate the map, but BLG finds a counterplay a few minutes later on the topside, punishing T1's advanced positioning to equalize the golds. After the 20th minute, an exceptional play from Faker in midlane offers a crucial teamfight to T1, who recovers the Nashor and launches a push on the BLG base. Armed with the Baron buff, T1 advances methodically, accumulating objectives and recovering a second Nashor. Finally, a teamfight in the 31st minute allowed T1 to conclude the game, forcing a fifth round in this series definitely full of twists and turns. This round demonstrates T1's resilience and their ability to execute their strategy under pressure, while Faker once again confirms his legendary status.
Some 5
The fifth and final round of the series begins with palpable intensity. The two teams are neck and neck from the first minutes, in a laning phase marked by tense exchanges and a first blood recovered by BLG. The game becomes a strategic duel, where each team seeks to dominate vision control and objectives. In the 7th minute, T1 wins a first teamfight for the Void Larvae, gaining a slight advantage in resources. BLG, far from being defeated, responded by winning a few decisive plays which allowed them to contain the advances of T1. After the 15th minute, however, T1 takes the advantage in golds, and the gap widens slowly but surely.
In the 20th minute, a teamfight for vision control results in a victory for T1, who recovers the first Nashor of the game. This decisive hold allows T1 to put pressure on BLG's base, forcing the Chinese players into desperate defense. Despite BLG's admirable attempts to turn the situation around, T1 maintained its strength and, during a final teamfight, managed to seal the victory. T1 won this fifth round in 32 minutes, thus concluding the series with a score of 3-2 and winning their fifth world title. This victory is the culmination of a breathtaking Bo5, where every detail counted and where T1 demonstrated its supremacy thanks to impeccable strategic execution.
And 5 for Faker and T1!
T1 won 3-2 against Bilibili Gaming, thus signing an exceptional performance and adding a fifth world title to its record, consolidating its legendary status in the history of League of Legends. This thrilling Bo5, played in the crowded O2 Arena in London, highlighted the intensity and quality of the level of play expected from the best teams in the world. T1 was able to navigate through a particularly competitive series, exploiting its strategic strengths and the experience of its key players to swing critical moments in its favor.
The series was marked by a fierce battle between two distinct styles: the methodical approach of T1, which relies on tactical rigor and rapid adaptation, and the controlled aggression of Bilibili Gaming, which often surprised T1 with flash commitments and proactive management of objectives. Bilibili Gaming, two-time LPL champion, demonstrated its ability to take control of games by imposing a frenetic pace, especially in the first rounds. However, faced with the resilience of T1, the Chinese team ended up giving in during decisive moments, particularly in the last teamfight which sealed their defeat.
This fifth world title is particularly symbolic for T1, crowning the career of a Faker at the top of his art, who exceeded the threshold of 500 kills in Worlds during this final, an extremely rare feat. The legendary midlaner's performance was essential in allowing T1 to overcome the pressure, and his leadership made the difference in moments of doubt. This title also confirms T1's ability to renew itself and perform at a high level, despite the rise of new Chinese teams, such as Bilibili Gaming, which seek to establish themselves on the international scene.
By winning its fifth title, T1 indisputably positions itself as the most successful team in Worlds history, writing a glorious new page in the esports record book. This victory also marks a turning point for the LCK, which, despite the LPL's increasingly fierce rivalry, continues to reign on the international stage, recalling the golden era of the Korean league. The 2024 Worlds final will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the most intense and strategically rich clashes in recent years. With this coronation, T1 proves once again that experience, composure and strategic mastery are essential assets to triumph at the highest level. While Bilibili Gaming will undoubtedly leave disappointed, the Chinese team will also be able to boast of having delivered an exceptional performance, pushing the reigning champion to their limits.
