T1 defeated Karmine Corp 3-1 in the quarterfinals of the 2026 LoL World Championship (Worlds) on November 7 at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center in Allen, Texas, advancing to the semifinals. Although they dropped a game to Karmine Corp's heavy macro play, T1 secured a 3-1 victory backed by a bot duo that stayed solid throughout the series.

Inven met with T1 jungler Moon "Oner" Hyeon-jun after the match. Joking, "It's been a while since we played a BO5 match, so it's a bit tough. I wonder if I'm getting old," Oner answered a question about the key to victory by saying, "We felt Karmine Corp had very distinct champion preferences. We prepared well for Game 1 with that in mind, and after winning Game 1 relatively easily, things definitely became much smoother draft-wise."

After losing Game 1, Karmine Corp pulled out a '5-jungle ban' strategy. When asked if he expected this and how he planned to handle it, Oner explained, "Usually, a lot of jungle bans come out in Games 1 and 2, so I expected it to some extent. However, I didn't expect them to use all five ban cards on the jungle position. Still, since it was only the second game, there were plenty of cards left to utilize, so it wasn't a big problem."

T1 built match point by winning Games 1 and 2 back-to-back, but nearly lost momentum after dropping Game 3. Game 3 was so tight that first blood did not come until nearly 20 minutes in, but T1 ultimately dropped the game after falling behind in objective control and teamfights. He shared, "We missed opportunities in the early to mid-game where we could have done better, so I guessed the game would get harder as it went late. I thought our only choice was to teamfight well, but we weren't able to do that."

We also asked about the story behind the moment during the chase following Karmine Corp's Baron burst, where Jayce engaged first and got caught, resulting in a heavy loss. Oner recalled, "At the time, our damage dealers also called to go in. I (on Sejuani) was also looking for an angle using Q + Flash, but looking at our main group, it seemed like they couldn't follow up, so I hesitated slightly. As for Jayce, given the call and the situation itself, I think that's how that scene played out."

After losing Game 3, T1 focused on objectives. In Game 4, T1 consistently took up positions around the dragon first, leveraging that advantage to land effective strikes. He said, "Before Game 4, we shared feedback to play around objectives. We thought we needed to do what we could 30 seconds to a minute before an objective spawned, and that's how we played."

Their next opponent in the semifinals is BLG. It is a team T1 has never lost to on the Worlds stage, and BLG has openly shown their burning determination through various interviews. Assessing BLG as "a team with great momentum right now and a really strong side," Oner shared, "Since we've reached the semifinals, everyone is good. I think the team that plays closer to the ideal solution according to the meta will win. We need to navigate the game well around objectives."

This is already Oner's sixth Worlds. Following their 3-peat, T1 is challenging for a fourth consecutive championship this year. He said calmly, "It's already my sixth, so time really flies. It's no different from before. We're at Worlds again, and my teammates and I are giving our best effort to win again." He added, "Rather than focusing on the monumental task of a 'four-peat,' my mindset has always been to win the match right in front of us. I believe that if we win match by match like that, the championship will naturally follow."

Lastly, Oner offered his thanks along with his resolve: "Managing our physical condition is also a crucial factor, so we need to manage it well. I believe we gain strength and win thanks to the fans who give us so much support. Please keep supporting us, and we will prepare well to reward you with great matches."