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T1 vs Invictus Gaming Preview: Faker and Rookie Clash with Worlds 2025 Swiss Stage on the Line
Worlds 2025 is set to kick off with a high-octane clash between T1 and Invictus Gaming to decide who will be the final team to qualify to the Swiss Stage. The only match of the Play-In Stage will pit two historic Mid Laners in Faker and Rookie against one another in a Bo5 series for the first time ever, promising an unprecedented show on the Rift.
Let's take a look at what's coming our way when T1 and Invictus Gaming take the stage to launch the action at Worlds 2025 this Tuesday, October 14th, at 10 am CET!
T1: All or Nothing
T1 find themselves in an unimaginable situation as they have to battle through the Play-In Stage for a spot at Worlds despite arriving as the back-to-back champions of the event. For this team, this is about a whole lot more than making it to the Swiss Stage, as they are chasing history on their way to becoming the first and only team to win the League of Legends World Championship for three consecutive years.
To achieve that, though, they have to keep their eyes on the ball. And right now, that ball is Invictus Gaming. For all of T1's roller coaster of a year so far, the team arrives at this match as the heavy favorites to make it past the Play-In Stage. Their rivals, though, showed very high highs in the LPL through the summer, and will be hungry to prove the belong on the biggest stage.
Invictus Gaming's X Factor
Coming into this match, Invictus Gaming are an incredibly tough team to read. The organization made the call at the start of the season to bring back the two solo laners that propelled the team to their first and only World Championship back in 2018. Though the move was met with some skepticism at the time, TheShy and Rookie proved they still have what it takes several years into their careers.
It hasn't all been sunshine and rainbows for IG, though. After finishing second in Group Ascend over in Split 3 of the LPL, the team bombed out of the playoffs after being manhandled by Bilibili Gaming and Anyone's Legend in consecutive series, showing high amounts of volatility to their game.
If every member of the squad manages to peak at the same time, though, Invictus Gaming may well send the reigning champs home sooner than anyone would have expected.
Faker vs Rookie: A Decade in the Making
Somehow, these two World Champions from South Korea are set to clash in an extended series for the first time ever. Faker won his first Worlds title with T1 back in 2013, more than a decade ago. Rookie, meanwhile, won his with Invictus Gaming in 2018. Now, the two veteran stars show up to take each other on under the very same banners that crowned them all those years back.
While nothing can be taken away from either of these players' legacies, the truth is that neither player is the mechanical menace they once were. The Mid Laners that grew into stardom by dominating their lanes and solo killing opponents have been taking a different approach to their game as of late, playing the roles of facilitators and leaders in their squads.
Still, the questions has to be asked, can this battle a decade in the making light a fire under Faker and Rookie as they look to fight another day at Worlds 2025? While this clash of the titans may be arriving later than anyone would have liked, it's one we will all be there to behold all the same.
Prediction: Who Makes It to the Swiss Stage?
Both teams may find themselves in the same position coming into Worlds, but make no mistake, their journeys throughout the year have not been the same. While Invictus Gaming were busy fighting for potential playoffs spots in the LPL, T1 were busy battling for the MSI trophy and putting on a 5-game banger of a series in the Grand Finals for good measure.
Had T1 encountered anyone other than Gen.G in the Lower Bracket of the LCK Playoffs, maybe we wouldn't be here. But they didn't, and now it's up to them to show they aren't here to fight just for a spot in the Swiss Stage, they're here to win it all.
While IG will have their home crowd cheering them on, it will take more than the chants of their fans to get them past the goliaths of T1.
Prediction: T1 takes the series 3-1 off the back of some superior macro and coordinated plays across the series. Our readers also agree with the pick, with 88% of the Strafe fan votes choosing T1 to win the match.
Make sure you tune in to catch the start of Worlds 2025 on Tuesday, October 14th, at 10 pm CET!
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Featured image credit: Liu YiCun/Riot Games
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