Coach KkOma Unexpectedly Brings Up the T1 – Gumayusi Incident Again, Stirring Fan Discontent
In several recent matches, T1 has shown a noticeable improvement since Gumayusi officially returned to the main lineup. Although there are still some hiccups, T1 is clearly performing better than they have since the start of the 2025 Regular Seasons. However, recently, Coach KkOma once again mentioned the incident. The only problem is that the remarks from the most accomplished coach in LMHT are making fans even more upset.
Specifically, Coach KkOma stated: “We made a lineup change since the LCK Cup. I decided to experiment with Smash. I just think, even if you are a player competing in Challengers, the LCK is a different experience. As I shared, I want to assess players in all states, both their best and worst. When a rookie plays, we all want to know what their true form can be.”
However, with this statement, Coach KkOma contradicts his earlier claim that Gumayusi needed time to recover (mentally and in form) which is why Smash was brought in to replace him after T1 lost to Gen.G at the start of the tournament. In fact, T1 did not perform poorly in that match and even had a very clear chance to win. If Chovy hadn’t been so outstanding, who knows how the match and result would have turned out.
Fans Are Growing More Frustrated with T1’s Coach
It can be seen that Smash replacing Gumayusi is no longer related to the performance or psychology of the 2002-born ADC, but simply the desire of the coaching staff to experiment with Smash. As for why Coach KkOma made such a decision, perhaps only he knows. The famous coach might want to create a “second Faker” – someone who can return extremely strong after being benched, just like EasyHoon and later Clozer.
However, Coach KkOma may have forgotten that there is only one Faker. And those who replaced him subsequently left SKT T1/T1 without a sound because they did not want to continue being the “shadow” of the greatest player in LMHT.