Rose Together: T1’s journey from downfall to victory

Seeing Ryu "Keria" Min-seok cry was probably one of the hardest things to watch. The pain in the eyes, the frustration of every T1 player after losing the Worlds 2022 to DRX. But when everything went dark and the season seemed like a failure, light broke through and the players "Rose Together." This is the T1 documentary.

Losing is never easy to swallow, especially with a reverse sweep. More than 70% of the fans thought that T1 was going to win that final game. Emotions ran high, and frustration set in as the players reflected on everything they could've done differently. But there was no turning back — they lost Worlds 2022 to DRX.

The season started well, the games were great, and Keria stood out to everyone and became the MVP of LCK Spring 2023. Everything seemed to be going smoothly for T1. But despite their great performances and a win against Gen.G in the upper final, they couldn't repeat that victory. Gen.G was superior and won. T1 lost — again. Sometimes, they asked themselves about what was lacking.

Losing again and again felt endless. MSI seemed like it could finally different for T1. They thought they could finally see some light at the end of the tunnel. But JDG didn't let them. After losing against JDG, T1 dropped to the lower bracket. There was nothing they could do to beat Bilibili Gaming. The unstoppable JDG defeated Bilibili Gaming in the finals and won their first-ever MSI.

After elimination, Keria said that everything was starting to get very stressful. He did not even think he could make it.

One final breath before the Worlds. And then, Faker's arm started to go numb. He couldn't feel the fingers. What began as a little sensation after the match turned into pain all day. He knew that something was wrong with his arm.

Faker never complains about difficulties or injuries, but even his father knew it was time for him to rest. For the first time in 845 days, Faker was not playing League of Legends with his team. T1's Yoon "Poby" Sung-won stepped in to occupy an uncomfortable place in the mid lane. It was not an easy task to take on. Even though the performance was not great, Faker admires Toby for his courage and he's thankful for all of his hard work.

After the loss in LCK Summer, the team went sank — down to ocean level. Everything felt dark, lonely, painful.

The mental health of the players was not in a good place. There were many emotions to deal with. Faker's absence was a significant void on the team. Mun "Oner" Hyeon-jun even started to question his abilities.

"Maybe we're simply incompetent," he said in the documentary. Choi "Zeus" Woo-je told his family about his lack of confidence. Lee "Gumayusi" Min-hyeong sought therapy sessions to cope.

The T1 players worked really hard to try to bring the same energy they had before. The fans, the family, the T1 staff — everyone had a big role in making the team whole again. And then, the "GOAT" returned on Aug. 2.

The games felt different. The casters recognized that T1 seemed like a completely different team. It seemed the stars were aligning for T1's success as the team qualified with astonishing performances.

Reaching the semi-finals, T1 turned out to be the underdogs. JDG was looking for the Golden Road — the team that wins four Riot-organized premier events in a single competitive year. Emotions were running high. JDG was making a comeback. T1 started to see their mistakes from previous Worlds and had flashbacks of their suffering.

The flashbacks of Worlds 2017 started to pass through Faker's mind. The deeper meaning of losing to JGD again, to be facing all that pain again. "In difficult times, if you try to look away and ignore what is happening, you will miss out on the chance to grow from that experience," Faker said in the documentary. And he was not wrong.

Everyone had to grow and learn from the tough times. Listening to "Legends Never Die" in the background, T1 advanced to the Worlds 2023 Finals. The countless support and shouts of resilience surrounded them. They were finally seeing some light.

Some thought that Worlds 2023 was the last dance for Zeus, Oner, Faker, Gumayusi, and Keria. They had faith, and hoped the team could finally win. They made everyone proud, even if they couldn't make it. Their families, their fans, their friends. Millions watched the grand finals, witnessing their road to glory. They were gods, just like the spirit of the 2023 Worlds Anthem.

Weibo Gaming did everything it could to defeat T1. The fans were wild, cheering like never before because this was special. This was unlike any other final T1 had been in. T1 went through so much and, in the end, all that was visible were smiles.

"You stuck with us, supporting us until the end and helping us accomplish winning Worlds," said Gumayusi to all of the T1 fans.

After a long discussion online, Keria finally picked Bard for his skin. Deft helped, of course! Zeus gained a Jayce skin and a prestige one for being the MVP, Oner chose a Lee Sin, Faker picked Orianna, and Gumayusi chose Jinx. In the end, all that mattered was growing alongside the game. League of Legends is more than a MOBA. It is a way of uniting millions of people.

You might be wondering about the "rose" part in "Rose Together." If you're unfamiliar with the T1 story, the rose holds a deeper meaning within the team.

During LCK Season 3 in 2013, the members of CJ Blaze and SK Telecom T1 (now simply T1) all used the Debonair Rose icon in the League of Legends client during their official matches. One day, the mid-laner from CJ Blaze, Kang “Ambition” Chan-yong, made a bet in an interview saying that whoever won would become the rightful user of that icon.

In the same year, Faker debuted on the SKT T1 team with a memorable performance as Nidalee. After that, Ambition stopped using the icon, and SKT T1 continued to use the Debonair Rose icon in their official matches. Ten years later, T1 transformed the rose into a symbol of their resilience and perseverance.

If you missed the premiere, don’t worry! The documentary is available on T1's YouTube channel. Grab some tissue paper becayse you’ll need it!

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