[GAMETOC] T1 Triumphs over TES to Claim Inaugural EWC Title

T1 has emerged victorious in the inaugural Esports World Cup by defeating China’s Top Esports (TES).

In the Esports World Cup finals held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on the 8th, T1 defeated Top Esports with a score of 3-1 to claim the championship.

Although T1 lost the first set somewhat helplessly, from the second set onwards, they established a strong draft with line control and value picks, leading the game. Notably, ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok Lee and ‘Oner’ Hyun-jun Moon firmly seized the mid and jungle control against TES’s ‘Tian’ Gao Tian-liang and ‘Knight’ Zhuo Ding.

In particular, during the fourth and final set, Faker picked Yasuo and aggressively pressured the OP champion Corki in the laning phase. Simultaneously, Oner managed to secure kills on Ivern twice in both the bottom and top lanes, creating a significant lead across all lanes. He also landed crucial ultimates on key damage dealers during critical team fights, leading T1 to victory.

‘Keria’ Min-seok Ryu, who performed exceptionally well with champions like Renata Glasc and Rakan, responded to a question about feeling the pressure of being the last remaining Korean team: “Since T1 is always the strongest team, I thought I could only enjoy it once I joined. We are always the best team and will continue to be so.”

Faker, crowned the inaugural champion, shared his thoughts: “I think I’ve been able to stay here for so long because I always strive to improve and continue working hard. I’ve met great teammates and received a lot of support from the fans, allowing me to consistently show good performances.”

Meanwhile, the Esports World Cup is an esports tournament held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It runs for about eight weeks and is divided into the Club Championship and the Game Championship. The Club Championship ranks participating clubs based on their performance across various games.

The top 16 clubs will receive $20 million (approximately 27.5 billion KRW). The remaining $40 million (approximately 55 billion KRW) will be distributed among the Game Championships, MVP awards, and preliminary events. T1, who clinched the championship trophy, will receive a prize of $400,000 (approximately 553 million KRW).