MSI 2026 Team Previews: T1 Chasing Their First MSI Victory Since 2017

|
By:Devin Morris
The MSI 2026 Logo

T1 is the most decorated organisation in professional League of Legends history. They have won six World Championships and two MSI titles. However, they have not won MSI since 2017. They have finished in the top three for the past four MSI tournaments. Two of those were second-place finishes in 2022 and 2025 against Royal Never Give Up and Gen.G Esports, respectively. Can T1 break their MSI curse and lift the MSI trophy for the first time in nine years?

T1’s Roster

T1 qualified for MSI via the LCK Road to MSI
Image of T1 qualifying for MSI, courtesy of LoL Esports
  • Korean Top Laner – Choi “Doran” Hyeon-jun
  • Korean Jungler – Mun “Oner” Hyeon-jun
  • Korean Mid Laner – Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok
  • Korean Bot Laner – Kim “Peyz” Soo-hwan
  • Korean Support – Ryu “Keria” Min-seok

T1 changed their roster for the second consecutive year. They brought in Peyz from JD Gaming to replace Lee “Gumayusi” Min-hyung. Peyz joins the roster as one of two players who have already won an MSI trophy, alongside Faker. The core of Oner, Faker, and Keria have been together since 2021.

A Barren MSI Spell

T1’s last MSI title was in 2017. That was the same year Ruler and Samsung Galaxy denied T1 and Faker their third consecutive World Championship title. Now in 2026, T1 and Faker are heading into MSI as the back-to-back-to-back World Champions. T1 has finished in the top three in the past four MSI titles. They came second at MSI 2025, losing 3-2 to Gen.G Esports. Their other eliminations since 2022 have all been to the LPL competition.

  • 2022 Grand Final – 3-2 loss to Royal Never Give Up
  • 2023 Lower Bracket Final – 3-1 loss to Bilibili Gaming
  • 2024 Lower Bracket Final – 3-2 loss to Bilibili Gaming

T1 comes in as the second seed this year, as they have done for the past three MSI tournaments. It is also the first year since 2023 that Gen.G Esports has not joined T1. Instead, it is Hanwha Life Esports, whom T1 lost 3-1 to in the Road to MSI. With their archnemesis defeated, can T1 break their curse and win an MSI title?

Key Player – Mun “Oner” Hyeon-jun

Champions Played in Spring 2026

  • Xin Zhao (12)
  • Nocturne (8)
  • Jarvan IV (7)
  • Vi (7)
  • Lee Sin (5)
  • Pantheon (4)
  • Wukong (4)
  • Trundle (4)
  • Naafiri (3)
  • Poppy (2)
  • Skarner

The Glue

While you could look to one of T1’s bot lane members in Peyz or Keria, the team’s success hinges on Oner’s performance. He leads the line for T1. In games where T1 loses, he is usually put behind, either because of his mistakes or the opponent’s focus. In the series against HLE, he had one of his worst performances of 2026, and T1 struggled as a result. With Faker and Doran often taking on supportive roles, Oner becomes the glue that holds his solo lanes and bot lane together. He thrives on the AD bruisers, especially Xin Zhao, who he has a 92% winrate on in Spring 2026.

T1’s Expectations

T1 beat Gen.G 3-2 in the LCK Road to MSI to qualify for MSI
Image of T1 beating Gen.G, courtesy of the LCK/Riot Games

Whenever T1 enters an international event, they are always in the discussion for potential winners. Even if they are not in the best form, they have the clutch factor that many teams dream of having. Any team with Faker will always be a consideration for trophy winners. At times during the regular season, T1 was the strongest team in the LCK. They were on an eight-series win streak before Road to MSI.

Since T1 lost to Dplus KIA in week 4 of the LCK, they have only lost two series. Both losses have been at the hands of Hanwha Life Esports. Heading into MSI, Hanwha Life Esports and the potential Golden Road winners, Bilibili Gaming, are the favorites ahead of T1. Anything short of a top-three finish will be a significant disappointment for this roster.

Starting in the Play-Ins

As the LCK second seed, T1 will start their journey in the Play-Ins Stage. They will need to win three series to advance to the Bracket Stage. First, they face Team Liquid in their opening match. Karmine Corp and Deep Cross Gaming are their other potential opponents in the Play-Ins. T1 is by far the favorite to advance out of the Play-Ins. Should they qualify for the Bracket Stage, they will face Billibili Gaming in the first round.

More LoL Esports Content

Below is all the previous LCK content on the Total Apex. You can expect more MSI articles in the following weeks.

Devin Morris is a Gaming Writer and Esports Editor for Total Apex Media. Devin is a gaming fanatic from little old South Africa. Devin has had a passion for gaming and writing from a young age. Devin's early favorites were Age of Empires, FIFA and Need for Speed games. As Devin grew older he moved into more competitive gaming, focusing on Overwatch, League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics. Devin also sinks way too many hours into Destiny 2!

Loading...