In front of a roaring crowd in Chengdu, T1’s veteran captain Faker guided his team to another world title — their third in a row — extending a reign that now defines the golden age of Korean esports.
The Korean powerhouse defeated KT Rolster 3–2 in the grand final held on Nov. 9 at the Dong’an Lake Sports Park in Chengdu, China. The thrilling best-of-five series saw T1 take the first game, drop the next two, then rally to win the fourth and fifth to seal the title.
T1’s championship roster featured Faker, Oner, Gumayusi, Keria, and Doran. Their resilience under pressure solidified T1’s dominance, extending its Worlds victories from 2023 and 2024 to an unmatched three-peat in 2025. The win also marks T1’s sixth overall World Championship crown, following triumphs in 2013, 2015, and 2016.
Faker, who debuted in 2013 at just 17 years old, remains the defining figure of global esports more than a decade later. After the match, he said, “More than the record itself, I just really enjoyed the games today. I want to thank KT Rolster for such an incredible final.”
Korea’s dominance continues unbroken, with Korean teams lifting the Worlds trophy for four consecutive years since 2022, reaffirming the nation’s status as the undisputed powerhouse of esports. This year’s final carried extra weight as it pitted the country’s two largest telecom-backed teams — SK Telecom’s T1 and KT’s KT Rolster — against each other in what fans dubbed the “telecom derby.” For KT Rolster, it was the team’s first-ever appearance in a Worlds final.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung celebrated the victory, calling it “a milestone achievement that will go down in esports history.”
In a Facebook post on Nov. 10, he wrote, “Congratulations to T1’s players and staff for achieving the first-ever three-peat in Worlds history. You have once again shown the strength of Korea as an esports nation.”
