The current season for the players of T1 can be considered on pause. Aside from Faker, Zeus, and Keria, two members, Oner and Gumayusi, will have about a month off before starting their journey in the 2023 World Championship (Worlds). This Worlds season will be incredibly important as T1 will be participating for the first time as a team from the host region. Among them, Gumayusi’s performance is concerning as he has put in effort throughout the Summer but has faced much criticism after T1’s recent loss to Gen.G.
During their free time, of course, players will use it to climb ranks and practice to prepare for the new phase. An awkward situation occurred when Gumayusi was trying hard to rank. Specifically, the situation unfolded when Gumayusi faced off against Calix – a member of the Nongshim RedForce youth team in the bot lane. At that moment, Gumayusi was at full health while Calix was at about half. With an equipped Aphelios, Gumayusi did not hesitate to dive in for a solo against Calix, especially since Gumayusi’s support, Rakan, was very close to assist.
However, Calix handled the situation excellently and completely “outplayed” T1’s AD Carry, leading to Gumayusi being taken down. Following that, Rakan was also defeated as Calix’s teammates rushed to support him. Calix’s performance with Ezreal left both Gumayusi and the audience astonished. Many did not hesitate to assert that Calix was even better than the seniors currently playing for NS in the main team.
But importantly, Gumayusi couldn’t contain himself and lost his composure with his teammate. He continuously lamented why Rakan hesitated to use Flash. This resonated deeply with the audience. Because if Rakan had used all his skills and provided enough crowd control for Calix, Gumayusi might not have been taken down. Instead, Gumayusi’s teammate only activated the Spirit Rush combined with the Grand Entrance, causing the attack to lose its element of surprise. Many viewers also admitted that if Rakan hadn’t hesitated with Flash, Gumayusi could have won against his opponent.
Of course, Gumayusi’s complaints are completely normal within the gaming community. But through Gumayusi’s situation, it can be seen that not only KT Rolster but many other young players in the LCK currently possess excellent skills. If given the opportunity, they will surely become noteworthy figures in the LCK and the League of Legends scene in the future.