T1 defeated Invictus Gaming 3–1 and eliminated them from the World Championship 2025

The first match of Worlds 2025 took place in the Play-In Stage, featuring T1 vs Invictus Gaming. This matchup was incredibly important, as the losing team would be immediately eliminated from the tournament.

Game 1 Picks:

• T1: Ambessa, Trundle, Taliyah, Sivir, Alistar
• Invictus Gaming: RekSai, Qiyana, Ryze, Corki, Neeko

Game 2 Picks:

• T1: KSante, Jarvan IV, Akali, Miss Fortune, Rakan
• Invictus Gaming: Sion, Wukong, Orianna, Caitlyn, Karma

Game 3 Picks:

• T1: Galio, Xin Zhao, Annie, Yunara, Renata Glasc
• Invictus Gaming: Rumble, Vi, Hwei, Smolder, Leona

Game 4 Picks:

• T1: Ornn, Nocturne, Leblanc, Ashe, Lulu
• Invictus Gaming: Varus, Pantheon, Sylas, Ziggs, Nautilus

An incredibly beautiful match for survival — intense, thrilling, and packed with action. The Bo5 series between T1 and Invictus Gaming delivered amazing teamfights, comebacks, and nail-biting moments.

However, T1 looked much stronger throughout the series, especially in teamfights, where their precision was exceptional. Every ability was perfectly timed, leaving no room for their opponents and surviving in ways that seemed almost impossible.

For me, the MVP of this match was T1’s Oner, who did an incredible amount to secure his team’s victory. His performances on Xin Zhao and Nocturne were absolutely outstanding.

As a result, T1 advance to the Swiss Stage, where the draw matched them against FlyQuest. Unfortunately for Invictus Gaming fans — and for iG themselves — they are eliminated from the tournament, finishing in 17th place.

Reminder: the Swiss Stage at Worlds 2025 runs from October 15–19 and 22–25. Sixteen teams play five rounds in a Swiss format: teams with 3 wins advance to the Knockout Stage, and teams with 3 losses are eliminated. Elimination and advancement matches are Best-of-Three with Fearless Draft. All other matches are Best-of-One, so every game matters.

Elimination and advancement matches are played in a Best-of-Three format with the Fearless Draft system, adding more strategy to the game. All other matches in the Swiss Stage are Best-of-One, so every round counts and one mistake can decide the outcome.