T1 defeated kt Rolster 2-0 in the second round of the 2026 LCK regular season at LoL PARK in Jongno on May 28, securing sole possession of second place and keeping alive a chance to finish first depending on Hanwha Life Esports’ final match result. Player of the Match Keria, whose real name is Ryu Min-seok, said the team badly needed the clean sweep and credited the win to the confidence and execution of all five players.
Keria explained that T1 approached the draft with balance after facing heavy target bans on the bottom lane. Rather than forcing Lucian-Milio, T1 prioritized top-side picks such as Rumble, Vi and Anivia, believing that an overly aggressive fight setup could backfire. The strategy eventually led to T1 selecting Xayah-Rakan, and Keria said he expected the matchup to be stable rather than dominant. He added that bot laner Su-hwan “Phase” played especially well and helped create early advantages.
In Game 2, T1’s final-pick Olaf for the top lane drew attention, but Keria said Choi Hyeon-jun “Doran” handled the pick well and seemed to enjoy the matchup. He praised Doran for constantly applying pressure on the opposing team’s damage dealers, which helped T1 stay in the fight even when the game looked difficult. At points, T1 trailed in gold and faced objective bounties, but Keria said the team remained calm because they believed their composition was stronger in late-game teamfights.
According to Keria, T1’s path to victory in the second game came from persistence and confidence in 5-on-5 fights. He described the Baron teamfight as a key moment where the team knew it had an advantage if it could force the right engagement. Playing Seraphine from the back line, he said much of the credit belonged to his teammates, who created space and won the fight through coordinated play.
Keria’s final Seraphine ultimate was one of the biggest moments of the match. He said the opening appeared after his teammates baited out the enemy Rell’s W skill, allowing him to find an engagement angle. He described the sequence as a combination of preparation, timing and teamwork rather than individual brilliance, and said he felt as if he was being “carried” throughout the series. Even so, he was grateful that the performance was enough to earn him Player of the Match honors.
Looking ahead, Keria said T1’s final second-round match against BNK FEARX will require full preparation. He called BNK FEARX a strong opponent and stressed the importance of finishing the round with another 2-0 result. He also noted that T1 must maintain its level of play because the Road to MSI schedule follows immediately after, making consistency a key priority as the team closes the regular-season stage.
