Picture by Colin Younger-Wolff by way of Riot Video games
Some scars train a lesson.
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As one among League of Legends’ most embellished coaches, T1’s kkOma is aware of the style of each victory and defeat. Reflecting on his lengthy profession, he admitted that the loss he regrets most got here in 2017.
“As a coach, each loss leaves regrets, however the one I remorse most is 2017, once we completed runner-up at Worlds. As time passes, I hold pondering that if I had achieved a greater job then, the end result is perhaps totally different,” kkOma mentioned in an interview with OSEN.
The Worlds 2017 ultimate stays one of the vital talked-about moments in League historical past. SK Telecom T1 entered the sequence because the reigning three-time world champion, closely favored to say a fourth title. However in opposition to Samsung Galaxy, the workforce regarded to have poor map management, which led to a 0-3 loss within the finals. CoreJJ and Ruler performed exceptionally to propel Samsung Galaxy to their Worlds victory.
This was the primary time Faker and T1 had ever been swept in a Worlds ultimate, and plenty of believed this was the beginning of the SKT T1 dynasty’s fall. For kkOma, the defeat symbolized greater than only a misplaced trophy, it was a second that pressured him to rethink his method to preparation, adaptability, and participant administration on the highest stage.
Regardless that the previous can’t be modified, kkOma has turned these regrets into motivation. After a number of years away from T1, he returned to the group with a transparent goal: to rebuild its identification and information a brand new technology of gamers and the veteran participant Faker to greatness. Beneath his management, T1 rediscovered their trademark self-discipline and adaptableness, capturing back-to-back World Championships in 2023 and 2024.
The comeback accomplished a full-circle second in his profession and strengthened his legacy as one of many biggest coaches in League historical past. Now, as he leads T1 again into the Worlds 2025 ultimate in China, kkOma says he needs to “keep locked in till the tip and go away no regrets,” decided to assist the workforce safe a historic three-peat on the worldwide stage.
T1 will face KT Rolster within the grand ultimate on Nov. 9 in Chengdu, a matchup loaded with Telecom Conflict historical past and emotion between two of Korea’s most storied esports organizations.
