The winds are right. On a winning streak, KT’s roller coaster ride is going nowhere but up. KT has raised the banner of its revival as an esports powerhouse by sweeping its toughest opponent, Genji, and then delivering a blow to its nemesis, telecom rival T1.
KT maintained its sole lead at the top of the standings by breaking the team’s longest winning streak in the eighth week of the 2023 LOL Champions Korea (LCK), which was held at the LCK Arena at Roll Park in Jongno, Seoul, from April 26 to 30. After taking over the top spot in Week 7 with a 2-0 shutout of fierce rivals Genji, KT extended its winning streak to 14 games in Week 8 by pushing Guangdong and T1 into the abyss of defeat.
KT forgot how to lose
KT’s momentum is through the roof, to say the least. After knocking off undefeated Genji in the Summer Regular League, they picked up the pace in Week 8.
Against Guangdong on the 26th, jungler Moon “Curse” Woo-chan’s poppy in the first set led to a kill and an assist during a lane raid, while long-range dealer Kim “Aiming” Haram’s jerry in the second set led to 11 kills and a 2-0 set win.
In the match against T1 on the 29th, which was designated as the ‘New Year’s Day Showdown’, KT showed a dominant performance. In Game 1, mid laner Kwak “Biddy” Bo-seong, who played as Nico, destroyed T1’s nexus in 27 minutes with his creative use of the ultimate, while in Game 2, Kim “Biddy” Haram, who was picked up after almost a year in the LCK, dominated the battlefield with five kills in seven minutes.
The two wins came in less than two hours, with KT taking 55 minutes to defeat Guangdong and 53 minutes to take down T1. In the process, top laner Kim “Kiin” Ki-in and support player Son “Richens” Xiu reached 300 career wins in the LCK.
Soo-hwan “Phase” Kim scores his third penta-kill of the summer 안전놀이터
Genji’s youngest player, long-distance dealer Kim “Phase” Soo-hwan, recorded his third penta-kill of the Summer Split.
Playing as Varus in the second set against DePlus Gia on the 30th, Kim single-handedly pulled off the “penta-kill,” taking out all five of the opposing team’s champions. Pushing hard with a double buff while hunting down Elder Dragon and Baron Nasher, Genji’s Barus picked off the D-Plus KIA players one by one, finally taking out Kim “Kellin” Hyung-kyu’s Rell to complete the penta-kill.
Soo-hwan tied the record for most pentakills in a single split with his jerry in Game 3 against T1 on June 11 and his kaisa in Game 1 against Live Sandbox on July 6, and his barus in Game 2 against DPLUS KIA.
‘Sand Corps’ Reeve San-bak, ‘Spicy’ Nongshim enter the race for the POs
Despite T1’s back-to-back defeats in Week 8, five teams remain in contention for one playoff spot thanks to a bitey fight at the bottom of the standings.
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