MSI 2026 Team Review: The First Time T1 is Eliminated from an International Event Before the Top Four
T1 started their run in the MSI Play-Ins. Many expected them to level up as the competition progressed. They showed cracks in their opening matches, but usually T1 improves further in tournaments. That never happened this time around. G2 Esports bested them in the Lower Bracket in relatively convincing fashion. The only player who showed consistency throughout the tournament was Peyz, who earned two pentakills at MSI.
T1 MSI Results
T1 played six series at MSI after starting in the Play-Ins. They won four and lost two.
- Won 3-0 against Team Liquid Alienware
- Won 3-0 against Karmine Corp
- Won 3-0 against Team Liquid Alienware
- Lost 3-2 to Bilibili Gaming
- Won 3-0 against FURIA
- Lost 3-1 to G2 Esports
T1 Player Review
Doran
- Total Apex Rating – 6.1 (3rd among top laners, tied 19th among players)
- Champions Played
- Ambessa (3)
- Gnar (3)
- Jayce (3)
- Yorick (3)
- Renekton (2)
- Gragas
- K’Sante
- Olaf
- Rumble
- Varus
When Doran signed for T1, everyone noted that international Doran would cost them. He had a couple of moments at MSI and Worlds last year, but overall he was solid. This MSI was the first time we saw Doran’s weaknesses for T1. While Doran should not shoulder all the blame, his performances were not good enough. The drafts did not help him either. BrokenBlade bested him in their series, and that gave G2 the advantage in that series.
Oner
- Total Apex Rating – 6.9 (tied 1st among junglers, tied 4th among players)
- Champions Played
- Lee Sin (4)
- Vi (4)
- Jarvan IV (3)
- Wukong (3)
- Nocturne (2)
- Trundle (2)
- Xin Zhao (2)
- Naafiri
Oner might have a high rating, but most of that is due to him being on the side of four 3-0 victories. Oner was not near his dominant performances this year. When faced with challenging opponents like XUN and SkewMond, Oner had muted performances. He made unnecessary mistakes. His redeeming qualities against TL were that he consistently outsmarted Josedeodo. Oner was still good, but not at his usual level.
Faker
- Total Apex Rating – 6.6 (3rd among mid laners, tied 10th among players)
- Champions Played
- Annie (3)
- Cassiopeia (3)
- Ryze (3)
- Taliyah (3)
- Galio (2)
- Orianna (2)
- Ahri
- Akali
- Lissandra
- Sylas
- Syndra
Faker started MSI well; he was the best T1 player in the series against TL. The same could be said for the series against FURIA. When T1 started to play loose, Faker was not drawn into those plays. However, his weaknesses showed against Knight and Caps. Both teams targeted him and kept him quiet. He had an exceptional Cassiopeia performance against BLG, but that was all he had. G2 targeted Faker on numerous occasions and punished him for his mistakes.
Peyz
- Total Apex Rating – 7.3 (1st among bot laners, 2nd among players)
- Champions Played
- Mel (4)
- Caitlyn (3)
- Kalista (2)
- Lucian (2)
- Zeri (2)
- Ezreal
- Jhin
- Kai’Sa
- Senna
- Syndra
- Xayah
- Ziggs
Peyz is the only T1 player that deserves his spot near the top of the ratings. He was exceptional at the tournament. While the team did a good job protecting him, he had numerous dominant performances. He kept T1 alive in the final game against G2. Had the Nexus not been exposed, Peyz probably would have killed everyone in that final fight. He earned two pentakills in the tournament, one in the aforementioned game.
Keria
- Total Apex Rating – 7.0 (1st among supports, 3rd among players)
- Champions Played
- Camille (4)
- Pyke (3)
- Bard (2)
- Lulu (2)
- Lux (2)
- Milio (2)
- Renata Glasc (2)
- Leona
- Nautilus
- Rakan
- Yuumi
When given the opportunity, Keria took control of games. His Pyke in game four against BLG was exceptional. Teams also allowed him to play Bard and showed why he has a skin for the champion. Overall, Keria had a below-par performance for his level. While he may sit at the top of the support standings, he is bolstered by wins against weaker opposition.
T1 Team Review
Based on the player ratings, you would expect T1 to have finished in a better spot in the competition. However, their wins bolstered their ratings. Winning 3-0 inevitably increases a player’s rating, as game losses have a bigger impact. T1 also won games in their losses, decreasing the impact of those losses. Overall, it was a disappointing tournament for T1. They were second best against both BLG and G2. Their drafting decisions were mysterious, in some aspects worse than what we have seen from them before.
More MSI Content
Below is some of the previous MSI content on Total Apex, for the team reviews.
