Faker’s T1 secured yet another League of Legends World Championship appearance after a 3-1 comeback win over Dplus KIA in the LCK 2025 playoffs.
In the lower bracket of the LCK 2025 Season playoffs stage, an all-important match decided the fate of two teams: the defending, back-to-back world champions, T1, and Dplus KIA (DK).
In the critical best-of-five match, DK got off to a flying start, beating T1 in just over 30 minutes. In true T1 fashion, the world champions bounced back with dominance, winning three games in a row to close out the series 3-1.
DK couldn’t withstand the pressure of T1’s onslaught. Image Credit: Riot Games
With the win, T1 has secured a coveted spot at League of Legends Worlds 2025, and DK will miss the annual event for the first time in the organization’s history—but that’s not the end of the season for either team.
What’s next for T1 and DK?
The LCK 2025 Season isn’t over just yet (ends Sept. 28), as the final four teams still need to duke it out for the top seeds in the region and a prize pool of just over $400,000.
Importantly for T1, they’ll want to make it past Gen.G Esports and earn at least a #3 LCK seed at Worlds 2025. If T1 loses to Gen.G Esports in a best-of-five lower bracket match on Sept. 21, it will have to duke it out in the Play-In stage of Worlds 2025 against the #4 seed from the LPL.
10TH WORLDS FOR FAKER. 🐐 pic.twitter.com/Q7DJzmtXOn— LoL Esports (@lolesports) September 18, 2025
At Worlds 2025 (Oct. 14 to Nov. 9), T1 will attempt to lift the Summoner’s Cup for the sixth time as an organization, and the “Unkillable Demon King,” aka the GOAT of LoL esports, Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok, will fight to become the only six-time champion.
Coincidentally, it was DK who came out on top against T1 with a 3-2 in the first round of the LCK 2024 Regional Finals. T1 went on to beat KT Rolster 3-2 to claim the last spot at Worlds 2024.
The season isn’t over just yet for DK, as the roster will compete at the recently announced Asia Invitational (Oct. 6 to 12), created for LCK, LPL, and LCP teams who narrowly missed out on Worlds 2025.