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We continue to keep an eye on what's happening at LCK Season 25. There's a lot of League of Legends quality and not so League of Legends quality ahead, as the group stage is in full swing.
We're talking about the third week of confrontations. And opening the new stage of LCK Season 2025 will be T1 and Nongshim RedForce.
We are trying to find out if Nongshim RedForce has a chance to defeat T1 or if everything will end as it should.
Let's go.
T1 Form
Let's open the analysis of the match T1 vs Nongshim RedForce with an analysis of T1's form. In this match they play as clear favourites with odds to win at around 1.2.
T1 won the LCK Spring 2022 and then three consecutive top 2s: MSI, LCK Summer and Worlds 2022.
The curse of top-2s carried over to the 2023 season as well. At the Long Run of the Year, Faker and company took 2nd place at LCK Spring 2023 and then finished third at MSI 2023.
- T1 line-up: Doran, Oner, Faker, Smash, Keria.
LCK Summer 2023 was a real challenge for T1. The team made it to the play-offs, but did it with difficulty, finishing 5th place in the group stage with the score 9-9.
There were problems for the main protagonist - Faker. The legendary mid laner injured his hand and it obviously affected the overall playing conditions of T1. But now Faker is kind of back on track.
The Faker factor has played out. T1 defeated a serious opponent in the person of Dplus and made their way to the next round, where their opponent will be KT Rolster. The latter, by the way, chose T1 as their opponent.
Next up was no less capable opponent than Dplus. Faker and company played against KT Rolster and won that match with a score of 3-2.
The opponent in the match for the play-offs for T1 was Gen.G. The first tried, and even started the game with the score 2-1, but it didn't work out: Gen.G camebacked, and Chovy was better than Faker.
In the grand final match T1 almost lost to KT Rolster after an excellent Long Sogpeg 2-0. They were saved by Gumayusi, who pulled it off on the 5th map with his Xayah.
However, it didn't allow them to win the final. T1 faced their nemesis Gen.G, where they crushingly lost 0-3.
T1 opened Worlds 2023 with a game against Liquid. Being the clear favourite of the series they closed the match against Liquid in their favour, but it was not an easy win: Liquid held on for 36 minutes and Ledge only 1 kill. Everything was decided in the final midlane brawl, after which T1 closed the series.
In a 1-0 basket, T1 ran into their own kryptonite - Gen.G. Faker and company started great, but the first LCK team was the first to adjust the pace of the game to their own and eventually win the match.
Next up, T1 faced Cloud9. Perhaps, it was the most defeated match of all that I had the chance to watch on this Worlds. Naturally, it ended in T1's favour.
After trampling Cloud9 T1 started to beat Bilibili Gaming, and they succeeded. T1 easily defeated the vice-champions MSI 2023 with the score 2-0.
In the play-offs, T1 played against LNG. Scout, who was not unreasonably named the best player of Worlds 2023, was like that until the 5th of November: T1 wiped out LNG, closing the series with a score of 3-0.
In the semi-finals of Worlds 2023, T1 faced perhaps the top contender to win the championship, JD Gaming. As formidable as the Chinese were, they were unable to outplay the experienced T1. As a result, Faker and company won the match with a score of 3-1 and T1 for the sixth (!) time made it to the grand finals of the most important League of Legends tournament. And then won it for the 4th time, which is an absolute record in competitive League of Legends and in esports in general.
After an excellent Long Cоrnеg regular season, LCK Spring 2024 T1s slipped a bit in the regular season, finishing 15-3 and in third place. T1 started the championship playoffs with a match against Hanwha Life Esports and surprisingly for me, they blew the game wide open, losing it 0-3. In the lower play-offs T1 played against DPlus KIA and beat them 3-0. Next, they defeated their HLE opponents 3-1, thus becoming the second and last Korean team at MSI 2024.
T1 made it to the Mid-Season Invitational 2024 after finishing in the top 2 at LCK Spring 2024. At the MSI 2024 MSI Play-In, T1 easily took the two series 2-0 and advanced to the Bracket Stage. They started off the Bracket Stage with a nerve-wracking 3-2 win over G2 Esports. In the match to advance to the top 3 T1 faced BLG and lost rather toothlessly with a 1-3 score. Next up was a match against Liquid, where T1 won 3-1. After that they played against G2 Esports in a rematch of the first round of MSI 2024 and again they won, but this time cleanly - 3-0 in favour of T1. But in the next match T1 could not win: BLG outplayed T1 with the score 3-1.
To play at Esports World Cup 2024, T1 interrupted their performance at LCK Summer 2024, where they had a 5-1 record.
In between LCK Summer 2024 matches, T1 tasted Riyadh, where they became the champions of Esports World Cup 2024 with a prize money of $1,000,000. They defeated TOP Esports in the grand finals.
T1 entered the LCK Summer 2024 play-offs from the 4th place of the regular season. During LCK Summer 2024, they were 11-7, which is not a good result for a club of T1's level. In the first LCK Summer 2024 play-offs T1 beat KT Rolster 3-1, but then ran into HLE and Ledgeili 0-3. Later they outplayed DPlus KIA, but then they repeated the match with HLE and again lost 1-3 and as a result LCK Summer 2024 top 3.
At Worlds 2024 T1 made it to the LCK Regional Finals, where they defeated KT Rolster by a narrow 3-2 margin in the match to qualify for the World Championship.
At Worlds 2024 T1 debuted with a loss to Top Esports in a close match. Then they easily defeated paiN Gaming and defeated Bilibili Gaming in a tough match, which brought them to a 2-1 score. In the play-offs match, T1 outlasted G2 Esports 2-0.
In the World Championship 2024 play-offs, they made their debut with a match against Top Esports. T1 have never lost in Worlds play-offs to an LPL team in their history. Neither have they lost now, outscoring TES 3-0. In the next Worlds 2024 match, T1 met their perennial kryptonite, Gen.G. T1 had never beaten Gen.G over the past year, but that didn't stop them from winning the most important match of the season and winning convincingly, 3-1. In the grand finals of the World Championship, T1 met the strongest team in China, BLG, and fought their way to the World Championship title, closing out the series with a 3-2 win. T1 became 5-time Worlds champions.
The 2025 season T1 Long Teamed up with Baron Group, where they confidently took the top 1. Faker and company, virtually without Gumayusi, won the group 4-1, advancing to the second round of the Play-In. In Play-In they beat Nongshim RedForce with a score of 2-0, thus passing in play-offs. And there was a surprise: T1 Ledge beat HLE in the first round, making the top 6.
LCK Season 2025 T1 had a slow start. As of the third week, the reigning world champions have a score of 2-2.
Most Popular T1 Champions
Fiora (5 games, 60% wins) was the most frequently sent to the top line. There was also Jax (3 games, 100% wins), Camile (2 matches, 100% wins), Irelia (2 matches, 100% wins).
In the forest Maokai (7 matches, 85% wins), Sejuani (4 games, 75% wins), Viego (2 matches, 100% wins).
The centre line was occupied by Azir (5 matches, 80% wins), Sylas (3 games, 66% wins), Kassadin (2 matches, 100% wins), Ryze (2 games, 50% wins).
Shooters: Varus (4 games, 50% wins), Lucian (4 games, 100% wins).
Sapports: Nami (3 games, 100% wins), Ashe (3 games, 0 wins), Varus (2 games, 100% wins), Miss Fortune (2 matches, 100% wins).
Nongshim RedForce uniforms
We continue the analysis of the match Nongshim RedForce - T1 with the analysis of the Nongshim RedForce form. In this match they are predictably in the outsider status with odds to win at around 3.5.
Nongshim Red Force is a team with no stars from heaven. It is a solid "mid-table" team in Korea, or rather even one of the worst teams in the best region.
In the arena LCK Nongshim RedForce have been in the LCK Nongshim arena since 2021. It also became the best in the not yet long history of this particular tag: at that time Nongshim RedForce managed to take Top 6 at LCK Spring 2021 and Top 4 at LCK Summer 2021, and there was also Top 3 at Regional Finals, but it was not enough to pass to Worlds.
Things started to get worse in 2022. Nongshim RedForce finished top-8 at both LCK Spring 2022 and LCK Summer 2022.
In the 13 competition season, Nongshim RedForce can be called the worst team in the region. At LCK Spring 2023 the team took the last, 10th place, and at LCK Summer 2023 they were not far away - TOP-9.
- Nongshim RedForce roster: Kingen, Sylvie, Fisher, Jiwoo, Lehends.
The only member of Nongshim RedForce from last season is Jiwoo. The remaining 4 players are new to the team.
Nongshim RedForce will play against DRX in the first match. In that match I expect Nongshim RedForce to win. Next will be a game against Gen.G, where RedForce has no chance not only to win, but to take at least a map.
At LCK Spring 2024 Nongshim RedForce were ranked in the top 8. The LCK 2024 summer split was no better than the spring one: the final top 8 and the change of the roster in the off-season.
The 2025 season, like most title teams in the region, started with an appearance at LCK Cup 2025. They played in the Elder Group, where they finished in last place, but made it to the Play-In. In the Play-In Long Co-op, they defeated BRION, lost to T1 in the next round, but beat DRX 3-1 in the lower grid match. As a result, they lost in the next round, but gave a serious fight to Gen.G, losing to the top team in the world with a score of 2-3, thus taking the top 4 at LCK Cup 2025.
LCK Season 2025, aka LCK Spring 2025, Nongshim RedForce Long Sogpeg were very good. In 4 matches, they have 3 wins and 1 loss.
Most popular champions are Nongshim RedForce
The most popular champion on the top line is Gnar (10 games, 90% wins). Jayce has appeared 8 times and has a winrate of 87%. Kenen was played 4 times and won all matches, KSante 4 times and 3 wins, Renekton 4 times and 2 wins.
In the forest were Vi (11 matches, 72% wins), Sejuani (10 games, 80% wins), Wukong (7 matches, 85% wins), Le Sin (6 games, 83% wins).
On the centre line it was Azir (13 games, 69% wins), Gragas (6 matches, 100% wins), Kassadin (5 games, 100% wins), Viktor (4 matches, 75% wins).
The most popular ADC is Lucian (12 matches, 83% wins). Next are Varus (8 games, 87% wins), Caitlyn (5 games, 100% wins), Zeri (4 matches, 75% wins).
Nami (13 matches, 84% winrate). Ashe and Lux have 4 games and 4 wins each.
History of head-to-head meetings T1 - Nongshim RedForce
This will be the 5th match of the teams for the last year. Previously T1 have won three times out of 5.
Predicted result of the match Nongshim RedForce - T1 at LCK Cup 2025 Season
I don't expect an easy ride for T1 in this match. After their performance at Long Season and actually replacing Gumayusi with Smash in the main squad, T1 don't look like a team that can blow everyone away.
Bottom line: +1.5 on Nongshim RedForce.
