The second stage of the LCK regular season will end after the last two BO5 matches, then moves into the playoffs. On the previous match day, KT and T1 both played their final games. KT faced DNS and won 2-0, easily taking their 13th victory. The result didn't affect KT's standing—whether 12 or 13 wins, they remain in fourth place.

While KT won, T1 also swept BFX 2-0 in their final game. As long as top laner Doran doesn't feed, T1's matches are easy wins. Peyz had a standout performance in this BO3—in the second game, his Mel dominated throughout, ending the match at 29 minutes with a staggering 18 kills. Since the team had 30 kills in total, he accounted for more than half. Clearly, Peyz is a master at crushing weaker opponents.

T1 secures top-two finish in regular season

Both GEN and T1 have finished their regular season games. GEN's final match was also a 2-0 sweep over BRO, giving them 14 wins. With the same big-game record as T1, T1 claims the top two spot thanks to a one-point advantage in small-game score. If HLE loses their last match to BRO, regardless of the score, T1 will be first in the regular season. However, if HLE wins, T1's ranking will be confirmed as second.

GEN still has a chance to finish in the top two, with the same condition as T1's first-place scenario: HLE must lose unexpectedly to BRO. Hanwha Life has the same big-game points as GEN and T1, but their small-game score trails T1 and ties GEN. If they lose to BRO, their small-game score will fall below both T1 and GEN, dropping them directly to third. However, this possibility is very low—BRO is a giant killer, but they don't succeed every day.

Mao Mao rises as a "cursed commentator"

After BLG's shocking upset loss to WE, another LPL commentator has joined the ranks of "cursed commentators." In the fourth game of the series, at 34 minutes, BLG had secured the Ocean Dragon Soul and planned to finish the game. At that moment, Mao Mao said, "I feel like we're about to hear the battle anthem." He even layered on self-protection: "BLG fans don't worry—I'm not Guan Zeyuan, so saying this won't bring any debuff."

Right after Mao Mao made that statement, BLG attempted to push but realized they couldn't finish and tried to retreat. However, the enemy team had already respawned, leaving no time to escape. BLG was forced into a team fight with WE, and WE won the clash with a 0-for-5 trade. Their mid laner and top laner instantly teleported to the bot lane, which had a pushed wave, and WE pushed BLG's base to take the win. Well, no wonder the "Big School" (Guan Zeyuan) hasn't been using his powers lately—he seems to have passed his cursed commentary skills to Mao Mao!

Oner left out of the National Cup again?

After LPL's Asian Games qualification was canceled, there's one fewer international event worth watching this year. To see top Chinese and Korean players team up again, we'll have to wait for the ECN National Cup at the end of the year. Foreign media recently reported that LCK will use the Asian Games roster for the National Cup. The tournament allows two substitutes, but LCK plans to bring only one, meaning Oner will once again miss the National Cup.

Two international tournaments, and neither includes Oner. It's unclear what LCK is thinking. Since LPL won't participate in the Asian Games, LCK's gold medal is all but guaranteed. Even if Canyon (three-time world champion) performs poorly, he can still win the title with his teammates. With the gold medal secured, there's no reason to change the roster for the National Cup. However, this news hasn't been fully confirmed yet, as the National Cup won't take place until December, so there's still plenty of time.

Conclusion:

From the initial doubts about replacing Peyz to securing a top-two regular season finish, T1 has improved steadily in this split. However, it remains to be seen whether they can successfully reach the top two in the playoffs and secure a spot at MSI. Based on their regular-season form, T1 has a high chance of making it to the Mid-Season Invitational, but the fear is that Doran and Peyz might suddenly underperform in the playoffs.

So, what do you think—can the current T1 beat HLE?

Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments!