Drama has followed the T1 League of Legends team since their Worlds Victory last year. It began with the drama surrounding their Toplaner Choi “Zeus” Woo-je when he left T1 for Hanwha Life Esports. It continued during the LCK Cup, where the T1 coaches decided to bench Lee “Gumayusi” Min-hyung for rookie ADC Sin “Smash” Guem-jae. Fans thought the drama ended at the beginning of the 2025 season, but that was not the case.
Smash Replaces Gumayusi in the T1 Lineup
After the T1 CEO, Joe Marsh, requested that Gumayusi retain his starting lineup after the LCK Cup, many fans believed the drama was over. However, on Thursday, 10th April, T1 announced via X that Smash would start over Gumayusi for their match against KT Rolster for Faker’s 1000th LCK match. This decision came after the roster’s loss against GenG Esports, where rumors spread that T1 coaches were unhappy with Gumayusi’s performance. In the X post, they clarified that Smash replaced Gumayusi for performance reasons. The post confirmed the rumors that spread hours before their match against KT Rolster. Smash, with his teammates, handily took down KT Rolster 2-0, with Smash ending the series 20/2/13.
Fan Reaction
To no one’s surprise, fans were extremely unhappy with the coaches’ decision to bench Gumayusi. Many still do not understand how you can treat a player who has given so much to the organization in such a fashion. It also makes no sense to put pressure on Smash, who is there to play League of Legends and perform to the best of his abilities. As is notorious with T1 fans, several trucks were placed outside the LoL Park Studio ahead of their match against KT Rolster. These trucks contained messages expressing their disgust towards the T1 coaching staff and their decision to bench Gumayusi.
Final Thoughts
It is unlikely that the drama surrounding Smash and Gumayusi will end anytime soon. Both players seem committed to playing for T1, so neither will leave the organization soon. Matches involving either player are going to be rife with conflict. Fans of Gumayusi and Smash will be eagle-eyed at each player’s performance, using moments of glory and failure to point out which player deserves the starting spot. Ultimately, it is unfair for both players. Regardless of who starts, no matter what they do or how they play, the drama and intense scrutiny will follow them. The hope is that we all can move forward and support both players, regardless of who plays.
