T1 Management Sparks Controversy with Smash Replacing Gumayusi
In the recent “telecommunication showdown,” T1 unsurprisingly decided to bench Gumayusi and field Smash instead. Naturally, with KT currently in a weak state and performing poorly, a victory for T1 was anticipated. However, the ensuing controversies have centered around T1’s management, with actions that seem to “add fuel to the fire.”
First, there’s Coach KkOma. The T1 head coach has not mentioned Gumayusi at all in T1’s first two matches of the 2025 Regular Seasons. However, he has praised Smash, stating: “He had a great performance today, but we need to observe more closely to understand his playstyle.”
Next, fans noticed that while the coach expressed apologies to Gumayusi, he had remained silent since benching this player during the LCK Cup, nearly three months ago. During that time, discussions and controversies arose, even reports from T1 that Gumayusi was not allowed to scrim, yet he maintained his silence.
According to many fans, Coach KkOma’s apology at this point seems unnecessary, as Gumayusi being benched has become too familiar, and (almost) everyone knows that this player would be sidelined after the recent loss to Gen.G.
Following this, there’s the General Manager of the team, Becker. In a recent development, he renamed his YouTube channel to “From the Perspective of Smash’s Father.” This can be seen as a move to show support for Smash from Becker. However, there has never been any precedent for such behavior in T1’s history with other players.
Gumayusi’s Future is a Dark Cloud
With T1’s announcement, Gumayusi’s chances of returning to the stage in the future seem very low. In fact, even if T1 loses to HLE, based on T1’s announcement, it would still be difficult for Gumayusi to return. However, the Regular Seasons is a continuous season. Therefore, it can be understood that unless T1 is on the brink of elimination from international competitions, Gumayusi might only return then.
But by then, it might be too late, and Gumayusi, rather than anyone else, will bear the brunt of public scrutiny.