T1 defeated Dplus KIA 3–1 in Round 1, Match 1 of the 2025 League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) playoffs at LoL Park in Jonggak on the 10th, advancing to the upper bracket. Waiting there are the regular-season first and second seeds, Gen.G Esports and Hanwha Life Esports, with the bracket to be set by Gen.G’s opponent selection. 

Below is the full interview with Kim "kkOma" Jeong-gyun and top laner Choi "Doran" Hyeon-joon.

How do you feel about today’s win?

kkOma: It was a very tough series, but I’m grateful to the players for staying focused to the very end and playing well.

Doran: There were a lot of grueling games, so I’m thankful to my teammates for making the win happen. We’ll have to prepare even better for the next one.

Tell us why you chose Dplus KIA as your opponent.

kkOma: Between BNK FEARX and Dplus KIA, I thought we’d show better form against Dplus KIA. After actually playing them, it reminded me that with veterans on the roster, they’ve got serious backbone.

Did you expect the series to go to a full five games?

kkOma: I did say 3–1 in my prediction, but Dplus KIA is a mix of rookies and veterans, so I figured it would come down to their form on the day. I think Dplus KIA played very well today.

In the next round, Gen.G Esports holds the right to choose.

kkOma: No matter what I predict, it’s Gen.G that makes the pick, so I can’t really guess. Either way, we have to beat whoever we face.

(To Doran) How do you evaluate your play today?

Doran: A few moments I wish I could take back stick with me. I’ll go back and review them. Right now, I think I need to raise my level further.

It’s been a while since you played a best-of-five in the LCK. How was it?

kkOma: We’d prepared a lot of picks, and as long as the compositions lined up, we could bring them all out. I’m sure other teams are thinking the same way.

In Game 5 you started at a disadvantage, and Keria’s hook flipped the script. Tell us about that moment.

Doran: I was on another lane at the time, so I didn’t see it clearly. Our teammates kept looking for windows to force favorable fights, and that’s when Keria pulled off a huge play. I think the flow of the game swung heavily to us there.

You had a long-awaited top-lane showdown with the rising “Siwoo.”

Doran: I could feel that Siwoo had prepared a lot for this series. Because of that, it also pushed me to think more deeply about the top-lane matchup dynamics.

Any last words?

kkOma: Thank you to the fans who always support us. We’ll do our utmost to show even better performances next time.

Doran: We’ll work hard to get ready for the next match and come back with an even better result.

This article was translated from the original that appeared on INVEN.