On Sunday, Aug. 28, the 2022 LCK Summer Split will conclude with the grand finals clash between two titans of the league: Gen.G and T1. As the two teams already secured a spot at the 2022 LoL World Championship, this last clash will be for their honor.

The last time Gen.G and T1 met in a Bo5 series was at the finals of the last spring season, and T1 won 3-1. This time, Gen.G is set to have their revenge. While T1 came off of an undefeated season for the first time in LCK history in the spring, the summer season Gen.G had a 17-1 record with a +30 set difference — they won 35 games while only dropping five games — which was a new record. Meanwhile, the only loss Gen.G had in the summer season was against T1.

The Teams

Gen.G

Choi “Doran” Hyeon-joon

Han “Peanut” Wang-ho

Jeong “Chovy” Ji-hoon

Park “Ruler” Jae-hyuk

Son “Lehends” Si-woo

Head coach Go “Score” Dong-bin

There aren’t that many championships the players on Gen.G’s roster collected — in fact, the only player that has won an LCK championship is Peanut, and his last championship was back in 2018. As for Ruler, despite his long tenure in Gen.G (Samsung Galaxy), the only championship he won was Worlds 2017.

The Griffin trio in Doran, Chovy, and Lehends have none. Chovy and Lehends were denied at the finals twice by Faker and once by their own current head coach, Score. As Doran started playing on Griffin later than the others, he was there just the last time.

This was the first year Gen.G played on this roster, and many fans were excited as it was a roster packed full of talent, but they were stopped by Faker, again, in the spring season. However, right in the next season, Gen.G’s team synergy became one of the best. They’ve been unstoppable since their loss against T1 in round 1.

T1

Choi “Zeus” Woo-je

Moon “Oner” Hyeon-joon

Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok

Lee “Gumayusi” Min-hyeong

Ryu “Keria” Min-seok

Head coach Choi “Polt” Seong-hoon

With Faker, the organization has raised 10 LCK championship trophies. Their spring championship run was one to remember; as mentioned above, they had an 18-0 record, going undefeated through the regular season.

One of T1’s advantages is that they have more experience as a team. Except for Zeus, the current roster has played together since last summer or earlier. They even went to Worlds together, where they were eliminated in the semifinals. They were also on the MSI 2022 stage, as they were the spring champions. Like this, T1’s roster has more experience on the bigger stages and has played more Bo5s.

A group of young players led by the one and only Faker, T1 are bound to collect yet another championship.

Key position to watch: Mid Lane

Chovy vs Faker

The meta may not be mid-centric, but this matchup is one that has been in the spotlight for years. Chovy has been considered one of the “post-Fakers” since his debut. From his debut, Chovy always had phenomenal performances throughout his career, leading his team to high standings.

However, Faker was his ultimate obstacle, as Chovy wasn’t able to beat Faker in a Bo5 series ever. Over the past few years, Faker stood in Chovy’s way so many times in a knockout tournament. From the LCK finals to Worlds, Chovy has been denied of advancing or winning the championship by Faker six times.

The past is the past, and this time, it can be different. One of the main meta picks in mid lane is Ahri. Although Faker has been known to be a great Ahri player, Chovy’s record playing Ahri is 16-1. Faker has played many more Ahri games, and his win rate on Ahri is impressive (76.2%), but Chovy’s record is simply outstanding. Chovy and Faker excel at another meta champion in Azir.

With the storyline there, the mid lane clash will be the one to watch.