On July 13th (Vietnam time), T1 faced off against Hanwha Life Esports (HLE). Contrary to many predictions, Faker and his teammates had a grueling day of competition. Not only did they have to play all three games to secure victory, but they also faced several issues during the match. Specifically, the game was paused multiple times to reset due to serious bugs, particularly one related to the Smite ability of jungler Oner.
Nevertheless, if we overlook the external issues, it can be said that this is a match where T1 fans can be somewhat satisfied. Although in game 2, Faker and his teammates were a bit overconfident and made some experimental picks, allowing HLE to equalize. However, overall, T1 had nearly complete control throughout all three games.
In this match, ADC Gumayusi also showcased his abilities excellently as he returned to play as the main damage-dealing ADC. For those wondering, in several recent games, T1 has been experimenting with Gumayusi using the champion Senna – a pick that scales over time but struggles to be a primary damage source initially.
Gumayusi shined in this match
Undoubtedly, T1 fans are the most excited as their star ADC has somewhat regained his confidence and form since the loss to Kwangdong Freecs. However, this may still not be Gumayusi’s perfect version, and he will need more time to prove he is ready for the most crucial part of the season as well as the 2022 World Championship.
– “They had to resort to the pause rule to reactivate Gumayusi from Spring 2022.”
– “T1 winning with Kalista will make this champion picked more often.”
– “So happy for Gumayusi, and hope he can maintain this form.”
– “Kalista will always be banned.”
At the same time, there were also voices expressing frustration as Oner revealed that he reported a bug but did not receive support from the referee.
– “Oner had to go online to clarify that he did not exploit the bug for an advantage in the match. Why does a player have to do that? He said he reported the bug but got no help. Where are the authorities?”
As for T1, this is a victory with many issues, but they achieved their highest goal. Coming up will be the second round and the playoffs. The T1 players will need to focus fully to realize their ambition of winning the domestic title and further, the 2022 World Championship in San Francisco at the end of the year.