On June 29th, the global eSports team T1 successfully held its Home Ground event at the Goyang Sono Arena, drawing a crowd of approximately 7,000 spectators.
The T1 Home Ground event, which garnered significant anticipation upon its announcement, sold out all tickets. Various activities, including custom cheer songs for each player and numerous event booths, were revealed in preparation for this landmark event in eSports history.
The event venue was imbued with T1’s identity, featuring various outdoor booths and T1’s chefs and baristas at the ‘T1bap’ and ‘T1 CAFE’ stands. Spectators enjoyed food and drinks while watching the games.
The event kicked off with an opening speech by COO Ahn Woong-gi.
The first part of the event featured an LCK CL Summer match between T1A and kt, with kt defeating T1A 2-1. This match was notable as it was the first LCK CL game held in front of such a large audience.
Before the second part began, actress Park Bo-young made a surprise appearance during a rose presentation ceremony, handing roses to the players. Singer Ailee also performed the national anthem.
The second part featured an LCK Summer match between T1 and kt, with kt emerging victorious with a 2-1 win.
The cheering battles between the two teams were spectacular, led by cheer captain Yang Chan-gyu and cheerleaders ‘Ha Ji-won’ and ‘Woo Soo-han’. The arena was filled with fans chanting and singing along with the cheer captains. Other cheering activities included card sections and large tents. A highlight was the LED cheering bracelets, produced in collaboration with entertainment company HYBE, which changed colors according to the game’s progress, enhancing the live experience.
The event drew many celebrities, including actress Park Bo-young, singer Ailee, actress Kim Ga-yeon, MONSTA X’s I.M, CRAVITY’s Wonjin, Lovelyz’s Seo Ji-soo, and model Han Hyun-min, who joined fans in cheering.
Various halftime events, such as staring contests, team unity games, and OX quizzes, entertained the audience and provided prizes. A segment of a documentary celebrating T1’s 20th anniversary was also shown, raising fans’ expectations. This documentary will feature two songs from an innovative single album collaboration with indie band Glen Check: “All I Ever Wanted” and “Retrospecto.”
The third part of the event was dedicated to fans. In celebration of T1’s 2023 Worlds victory, a championship ring created by T1 and David Avalon was unveiled. David Avalon’s CEO Shin Ye-gwon and T1’s CEO Joe Marsh presented the ring. During the following fan meeting, foreign tourists, visiting for the 2023–2024 Korea Visit Year, were introduced to Korean food and travel spots. Various interactive events allowed fans to engage closely with the T1 members.
COO Ahn Woong-gi stated, “T1 is pioneering new fields utilizing eSports, with projects like webtoons, cheering, T1CON, T1 BASE CAMP, and T1 membership. While we believe we have shown a new direction for the eSports industry through T1 Home Ground, we have only realized a fraction of our ambitions. We will continue to explore diverse initiatives to advance the eSports ecosystem. We sincerely thank the fans who attended T1 Home Ground.”
