Exclusive: T1 chants, their meaning, and why it’s totally game-changing for LCK fans
Let our cheers fill the Rift~
On Jul 01, 2025,T1 hosted the first-everhome and away match in LCK history.
CalledT1 Home Ground, the most high-energy moments happened when fans cheered T1 chants passionately in unison.
Competing against KT Rolster at the Goyang Sono Arena, which departs from the traditional neutral venues like LoL Park, the T1 Home Ground event provided a unique esports experience for fans, drawing inspiration from South Korea’s popular baseball culture to envision future esports events.
You see in South Korea, baseball games are famous for their lively cheering culture, which includes coordinated chants, original songs for individual players, and interactive activities. According toStatista, 62% of South Koreans cite baseball as their favorite sport, which makes it incredibly popular.
T1 Home Ground was meticulously planned to emulate the baseball atmosphere
“We thought that when Korean fans hear the word ‘Home Ground,’ the most familiar sport that comes to mind is baseball. Not only that, we thought baseball was one of the most popular home and away sports that can inspire fans from around the world,” a T1 spokesperson told ONE Esports.
The arena, accommodating approximately 7,000 fans, was divided into home and away sections, where fans compete to cheer the loudest for their teams.
Each player had their own song when entering the stadium, much like in baseball. For example,“Legends Never Die” feature Against the Currentwas played whenLee “Faker” Sang-hyeokwalked out while“GODS” by NewJeanswas Ryu “Keria” Min-seok’s anthem.
Actress Park Bo-young, known for her versatile roles in films like “Scandal Makers” and “A Werewolf Boy” as well as dramas such as “Oh My Ghost” and “Strong Woman Bong-soon,” made a surprise appearance for the rose ceremony before the start of the second half where she hand out roses to the athletes.
Adding to the event’s celebratory atmosphere, singer Ailee, a renowned Korean-American artist with hit singles like “Heaven,” sang the national anthem with powerful vocals.
Additionally, a variety of halftime activities were held, including a fan staring contest, where participants stare into the camera and whoever blinks first loses. A mirror game was played, where two attendees are given a topic and have to perform the same action.
There was even an XO trivia game, where participants are given a true or false question about T1 players and had to guess correctly. These activities, all done through fan cam that rewarded them with prizes, added to the positive audience experience.
The standout feature, of course, was the use of T1 chants for players, just like those heard in baseball stadiums. T1 worked with a university cheerleader group to create chants reflecting each player’s uniqueness.
“To combine the existing pro sports cheering chants with the progress of esports games, we needed to discuss with cheering professionals who know well about esports,” the T1 spokesperson explained to ONE Esports.
T1 chants for Zeus, Oner, Faker, Gumayusi, and Keria in Korean with English translation by ONE Esports
Fans took to social media to share their enthusiasm, and the event quickly became a hot topic, spawning numerous memes and viral content centered around the chants.
Thepromotional video of Gumayusi’s special dance performancewith Korean comedian Kim Kyoung-ook’s persona, Tanaka, also instantly went viral.
