T1 top laner Doran has addressed his widely-discussed failed engage in Game five of the Worlds Finals against KT Rolster. The play saw him dive alone on Camille near KT’s base without his team following up, creating what looked like an inexplicable solo death as T1 closed out their championship run.
According to Doran’s post-match explanation, the play was a communication breakdown, not a case of nerves. Circulating comms clips show Faker asking Doran to “look for an angle,” but Doran engaged immediately without explicitly calling that he was going in. The rest of T1 was backing off at that moment, unaware their top laner was about to dive between KT’s towers.
The intended plan was a layered engage built around T1’s draft. Doran locks down a carry with Camille’s Hextech Ultimatum. Faker follows with Galio’s Hero’s Entrance. Oner drops Pantheon’s Grand Starfall. Gumayusi‘s Miss Fortune cleans up the pinned target. Without the “go” call, Galio and Pantheon never started channeling their ultimates, leaving Camille to die alone.
The dive had additional risks. T1 had no minion wave pushing to help tank tower aggro or threaten structures. KT’s defensive tools—including Yorick’s terrain and Smolder’s repositioning ability—helped deny the pick and punish the isolated engage.
Doran acknowledged the mistake but emphasized he won’t hesitate to make decisive plays if he sees a winning angle. His focus moving forward is clearer, earlier communication so the team can coordinate their global ultimates and collapse together.
The failed engage wasn’t the only aggressive moment from Doran in Game five. Earlier in the game around dragon, his failed attempt to reach KT’s backline drew multiple enemy cooldowns and pulled KT’s positioning, setting up a massive Miss Fortune ultimate that won T1 the teamfight.
Still taking shots
Doran’s willingness to force engages is a defining characteristic of his playstyle. Throughout the series, he made key plays on multiple champions—a late flash-ult catch on KT’s ADC in Game one and critical disruptions on Gragas in Game four that helped stabilize fights. The Game five Camille featured strong side-lane pressure early, though several late-game aggressive looks drew criticism for over-forcing.
The base dive ultimately didn’t cost T1 the game. They closed out the series despite the misstep, claiming the Worlds championship. Doran’s takeaway centers on execution rather than philosophy—keep making plays, but make sure everyone’s on the same page when the engage comes.
