T1 Eliminates Invictus Gaming to Qualify for Worlds 2025 Swiss Stage

The biggest tournament of the League of Legends competitive season is officially underway, and after the opening day, the first team has been eliminated. T1 ended Invictus Gaming (IG)’s Worlds 2025 run with a convincing 3-1 victory, securing all four Korean representatives in the Swiss Stage.

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The League of Legends World Championship 2025 kicked off on October 14 with a best-of-five showdown between Invictus Gaming and T1. The fourth seeds from China’s LPL and Korea’s LCK faced off for a spot in the Swiss Stage, in front of thousands of fans at the Beijing Smart Esports Center in China.

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T1 Dominates Invictus Gaming 3-1 in Worlds 2025 Play-In

Both teams opened aggressively, opting for teamfight-focused compositions with Ryze for Song “Rookie” Eui-jin and Taliyah for Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok in the mid lane. Kang “TheShy” Seung-lok gained an early advantage in the top lane, allowing Invictus Gaming to secure the first neutral objectives. While the Chinese side initially controlled the tempo, a failed attempt to pick off Lee “Gumayusi” Min-hyeong turned the momentum in T1’s favor. With Baron Nashor secured, the LCK squad claimed the opening map.

Game 2: Invictus Strikes Back

T1 opted for a pick-oriented composition, while Invictus Gaming focused on scaling. Both sides contested neutral objectives early, but the Korean squad capitalized on their draft to set ambushes and control the pace. However, an overextension in the top lane allowed the Chinese team to swing the gold lead. Securing Baron Nashor, Invictus forced a decisive five-on-five inside T1’s base to tie the series 1-1

Game 3: Faker Leads the Charge

In Game 3, T1 returned to an aggressive early-game style, drafting strong picks like Annie for Faker and Xin Zhao for Mun “Oner” Hyeon-jun. Invictus Gaming relied on scaling again, but T1 forced fights around early neutral objectives, leading to unfavorable skirmishes for IG. As Chen “Gala” Wei’s Smolder stacked up, T1 continued to build their gold lead. A crucial dragon fight ended in a clean ace, giving T1 match point.

Game 4: T1 Closes the Series

Thanks to the Fearless Draft format, strong meta picks were off the table. Invictus Gaming surprised by locking in Varus for TheShy, but T1 countered with an early lane swap, denying top lane pressure. Although Invictus controlled the early game through side lane picks, T1 won key mid-game fights to close the gold gap. Gumayusi shined with precise Ashe ultimates, while Oner’s Nocturne created chaos in teamfights. T1 closed out the series in under 30 minutes to secure their Swiss Stage spot.

LCK Secures All Four Spots in Worlds 2025 Swiss Stage

With this victory, T1 advances to the Swiss Stage, joining KT Rolster, Hanwha Life Esports, and Gen.G as the LCK representatives. The action continues on October 15, with the opening matches of the Swiss Stage. All games will be streamed live on the official LoL Esports YouTube and Twitch channels, as well as LoLEsports.com, where fans can earn exclusive rewards throughout the tournament.