T1 defeated Nongshim RedForce 2–1 in the first match of Day 2, Round 5 of the 2025 League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) regular season at LoL Park in Jongno on the 22nd. Despite the victory, dropping a game left them in third place, still trailing Hanwha Life Esports by a single set in game differential in the battle for second.

After the series, Faker admitted the win was not entirely satisfying. He pointed out that because the team is currently fighting for position in the standings based on game difference, conceding a set left a sense of regret. At the same time, he emphasized that the series provided valuable lessons.

T1 had rolled through Game 1 but stumbled in Game 2. In the draft, they gave up Pantheon and Taliyah—two champions highly regarded in the current meta—and opted for Ahri, who had been on a losing streak. Addressing this, Faker explained that the team sometimes experiments with different approaches in the draft, but in this particular game things didn’t play out the way they had envisioned. He acknowledged that their preparation in that area was lacking. On the Ahri pick specifically, he noted that the losing streak didn’t overly concern him; rather, the team needed a proactive pick for their composition, which led to the choice.

Analyzing the in-game play, Faker observed that T1 had drafted a lineup that should have taken control early. However, once they fell behind in the early to mid stages, the situation became increasingly difficult to recover from.

When asked about the team’s feedback after losing Game 2, Faker said he personally focused on sharpening his own play, while the group also talked about how to better leverage their macro advantages and discussed the draft decisions in detail.

Regarding the mistakes in the early minutes of Game 3, he admitted that the first death came while he was moving to support a play in the top lane and lost track of his positioning. The second came while monitoring the bottom-lane situation, again losing awareness of where he was. He described both as simple errors.

Looking ahead, Faker stressed the importance of finishing second in the standings, noting the significant advantages it brings in starting from a higher playoff seed. That remains the team’s target. However, he also underlined that the most important factor is overall performance. He said the team is preparing to deliver stronger showings in the playoffs and promised they will continue to raise their level and work together to improve.

This article was translated from the original that appeared on INVEN.