There are reports of a VCS Marksman criticizing T1 and Gumayusi
Currently, T1 is under a lot of scrutiny, especially after their crushing defeat against Hanwha Life Esports in the playoffs, leaving them with hopes only in the lower bracket. Nevertheless, T1 still has a chance, and Dplus KIA is no longer a name that makes T1 uneasy. However, numerous criticisms have been directed at T1 players on various forums. Recently, another figure (let’s call them C.) – a veteran VCS Marksman is said to have shared some comments aimed at T1 and especially at Marksman Gumayusi. Yet, this person’s comments carry a lot of negative implications for Faker and his teammates.
Notably, one of the comments cited by the community suggests that if T1 were to disband, no one would care about the remaining players except Zeus. Furthermore, this individual claimed that the current reigning Worlds champion Marksman is merely a player who “only knows how to spam A and doesn’t know how to play Zeri,” making him incomparable to Viper (the Marksman of HLE who recently defeated T1’s Gumayusi). The remarks from this former VCS player immediately sparked intense debate within the Vietnamese LoL community.
The Reality of T1 and Gumayusi
First, it must be affirmed that throughout many seasons, Gumayusi has always been seen as T1’s most stable player. If T1 experienced a decline in performance in the Summer Split 2024, HLE was not a serious threat to the reigning Worlds champions in the previous Spring Split. In fact, HLE’s only victory against T1 in the Spring was quite hard-fought. And in all encounters during the Spring Split 2024, Gumayusi completely outperformed Viper. Only in the Summer Split 2024, when the entire T1 roster stumbled, could Gumayusi not hold up, especially since he had to use champions that are not necessarily pure ADCs, such as Seraphine in the recent match against HLE.
Another important point is that T1 has never been a team that plays around the Marksman in recent seasons, as they have too many names capable of “carrying” damage, such as Zeus, Faker, or even Keria. Thus, Gumayusi’s stats are not as impressive as many of his opponent counterparts. Even when the ADC meta was rising, T1 almost rejected this playstyle, and Gumayusi in the Summer Split 2024 had many instances where he was only able to use Senna – a “semi-ADC” champion that requires a lot of resources to be effective.
Meanwhile, Viper, since returning to the LCK, has been considered the focal point of HLE’s playstyle. However, this player has not always maintained high performance. Moreover, his teammates can only perform well if they encounter a suitable meta. The Summer Split 2024 group stage serves as an example when HLE showed signs of declining towards the end. The recent match against T1 was merely a bright spot for HLE in their recent games. They have truly found their rhythm, and how Viper performs will likely be tested in the upcoming match against Gen.G.
There are still opinions undervaluing Faker’s role at T1
A point cited by fans from the former VCS Marksman is that “when Faker is injured, the other 4 players perform poorly, so no one needs the remaining players of T1.” However, this argument is completely inappropriate as many prominent figures in the professional LoL community have acknowledged that Faker’s role in T1 is not just that of a Mid Laner or a team-calling captain like players such as Peanut (HLE) or Lehends (Gen.G). At T1, Faker is simply the soul and brain of the entire team, as well as the spiritual leader. In fact, when Faker is present, it can be imagined that he exudes a “king’s haki” that makes other opponents yield to T1.
Therefore, when Faker is absent, not only does T1 seem like a “headless snake,” but their opponents also gain confidence in winning. Moreover, a cohesive LoL team is about the synergy of all five members. Just one misaligned link can lead everyone in the wrong direction. At that time, Poby was not only lacking experience but also facing pressure to replace Faker, while also being in poor form (T1 Challengers was near the bottom of the LCK CL rankings at that time) and unable to coordinate well with Oner. With such a mid-lane situation, it is understandable that T1 would perform poorly.
Conclusion
T1 and Gumayusi are going through a tough phase, and they just suffered a humiliating defeat against HLE, a fact no one can deny. However, it is essential to remember clearly: even during the times they faced skepticism from the LoL community (even from T1 fans themselves), they still crowned the Worlds champions. Now, that skepticism may be even greater. But until the matches take place, it is too early to make any judgments, especially those leaning towards negativity regardless of the intent behind them.