T1 vs KT Rolster Preview: Faker and Bdd Out to Make Worlds History
A year of League of Legends action will be coming to a close when T1 and KT Rolster take the stage in Chengdu, China for the Grand Finals of Worlds 2025. While T1 look to collect a staggering sixth Worlds title for the organization, KT will be hungry to come away with a first Worlds trophy for the organization.
Let's take a look at some of the biggest talking points of this stellar clash as some of the best players in the world prepare to battle at the Worlds 2025 Grand Finals on Sunday, November 9th.
T1 Out to Grow the Legend
When it comes to Worlds history, T1 come second to none. With a total of five titles under their belt, no organization comes even close to competing with what T1 has achieved on the biggest stage.
For all of their impressive legacy, though, what is perhaps more impressive is the fact that T1 have now reached their fourth consecutive Worlds finals, and stand on the brink of winning back-to-back-to-back titles; a feat so great that not only has it never been achieved before in the history of the game, but it may also never happen again.
T1's reign of terror at Worlds lives on. (Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games)It's no secret that T1 have not been quite their dominant selves throughout the 2025 season. And yet, when it came time for Worlds, the team turned it up a notch, reaching the finals after sweeping Top Esports in the Semifinals. Now, the team just needs to have all of their pieces click for one last time to extend the T1 legacy to unfathomable heights.
KT Rolster Shock the World
When Worlds 2025 kicked off back in October, few people (if any) expected KT to make it this far into the tournament. Yet, despite arriving at the event as the perceived weakest team from the LCK, KT Rolster shocked the scene by turning into the single sharpest team at Worlds, not to mention the most impressive.
To sum up KT's run, let's take a look at the numbers. Not only has the team made it all the way to the Grand Finals while dropping only a single game in the process (10-1 record), but KT is also the number one team at the tournament in K:D (1.87), kills per game (18.9), gold per minute (1980), and dragon percentage (68.9).
KT have taken Worlds 2025 by storm. (Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games)If T1 are looking to extend their legacy, KT are out to create one of their own. Despite being one of the oldest esports organizations on the planet, KT Rolster has never won the League of Legends World Championship before. As long as KT can keep up their level of play for one more series, that first trophy may not be all that far.
Key Matchup: Faker vs Bdd
The two veteran leaders of T1 and KT, Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok and Gwak "Bdd" Bo-seong, are set to deliver a clash for the ages in the Mid Lane during the Grand Finals. One the one hand we have Faker, the best League of Legends player of all time. Over on the other side we have Bdd, undoubtedly the best player of Worlds 2025.
Both players have been at the heart of their respective teams' runs at the tournament, playing crucial roles in getting them this far. As is tradition at this point, Faker has been incredibly clutch for T1 at Worlds, both as a leader and a player. Bdd, meanwhile, has been a cut above every other Mid Laner, consistently creating leads for KT out of thin air.
A decade into his career, Bdd stands on the brink of securing his first Worlds trophy. (Credit: Yicun Liu/Riot Games)When the Grand Finals come about, one pick that should be highly contested between the two players will be Orianna. Both players feel extremely comfortable on the champion, a pick that has served them well at Worlds. Faker and Bdd are both yet to lose a game on Orianna at Worlds, putting up a combined record of 5-0. Now, it will be interesting to see who gets to secure the champion for himself, as well as whether the opposing Mid Laner will have prepared anything special to deal with the pick.
The longer the series goes, expect more and more weight to be placed on Faker and Bdd as their teammates turn to them in an hour of need. The question in the end will be: which one will prove more important in these Grand Finals, history or form?
When it comes to Worlds, no one can match Faker's legacy. (Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games)Prediction: Who Will be Your Worlds 2025 Champions?
There's no denying it, KT are in an incredible run of form. Though Bdd has been the star of the show, the entirety of the team seem to have leveled up at Worlds 2025, looking sharp and in-sync as they reach for the trophy.
And yet, there's something indescribable in the air whenever T1 compete at Worlds. Four consecutive finals are no coincidence; this is a team built for this stage.
Prediction: KT will give it their all, but we expect T1 to claim the 3-2 win in what may go down as a Grand Finals for the ages.
Given the team's history at Worlds, it's no surprise that our voters also believe T1 will secure the victory, with 74% of the Strafe fan votes picking them to win the Grand Finals.
Time shown in UTC-7Whether it's a record-shattering sixth title for T1, or KT adding a brand new name to the list of Worlds winners, this series is out to make League of Legends history. Make sure you tune in to watch the Grand Finals of Worlds 2025 this Sunday, November 9th, at 8 am CET.
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Featured image credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
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