T1 vs IG: High - Stakes Match Opens Worlds 2025

The 2025 League of Legends World Championship has officially kicked off, and the first match is a do-or-die battle: T1 vs Invictus Gaming (IG) in the Play-In stage.

Here's what to know going into this blockbuster showdown.

Tournament Context & Format

Worlds 2025 runs from October 14 through November 9, across Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu.

T1 and IG are each the 4th seed from LCK (Korea) and LPL (China), respectively.

Their match is a best-of-five Play-In series. The winner advances to the Swiss Stage; the loser is eliminated.

Team Histories & Rivalry

T1 is the most decorated organization in LoL history, having won five Worlds titles.

IG, meanwhile, won Worlds in 2018 and has a storied legacy in LPL.

In their head-to-head record prior to this, IG leads 3–1 in individual games.

However, T1 has been dominant in recent years in Bo5 series against Chinese teams in Worlds context.

Key Players & Storylines to Watch

T1

Faker (mid): The veteran and face of the team - always center stage.

Keria (support): In interviews, he's emphasized focusing on Wei's interventions in the lane and controlling tempo.

Oner, Gumayusi, Doran: Each brings strategic depth and mechanical strength to their roles.

IG

TheShy (top) & Rookie (mid): Both legends who drove IG's 2018 victory — their return to Worlds adds narrative weight.

Wei, Gala, Meiko fill out the roster, all with strong regional results and synergy to back them.

Match Prediction & Odds

Bookmakers heavily favor T1 in the showdown, with implied odds hovering around 1.2 for a T1 win.

IG is considered underdog, with much lower odds to pull off an upset.

What's Critical to Win

1. Draft & Pick/Ban Strategy
The play-in Bo5 allows for wide champion pools. Denying comfort picks and punishing flex picks will matter.

2. Mid-Lane Control
If Faker vs Rookie becomes a one-dimensional battlefield, that could swing entire games.

3. Jungle Pathing & Objective Control
Wei's interventions have been called out by Keria as a key point—control over dragons, Rift Herald, and early skirmishes will matter.

4. Mental Resilience Under Elimination Pressure
Both teams know this match is absolute: losing here means Worlds campaign over.

Why This Match Matters

It sets the tone for the entire championship — a dramatic, narrative-rich opener between storied organizations. The loser's year ends here; the winner gets momentum entering Swiss Stage. For fans, it's a clash of eras: T1's continued supremacy vs IG's resurgence.