Once again, it was a familiar script for T1 in the LCK Spring 2021 season, as they had a fantastic start in their showdown against their long-time rivals KT Rolster. On a day when Faker had to sit on the bench, T1’s young roster surprised everyone by fully trusting “carry” Gumayusi with the champion Vayne.
As a result, Gumayusi led T1 to their first game win with a mesmerizing performance. However, the “hard-earned” experience from two previous losses meant that T1 fans could not smile just yet. And true to their fears, in the second game, T1’s coaching staff brought out Udyr for Ellim, after this champion had a successful debut in LCK Spring 2021 under Pyosik’s control.
But as many analysts pointed out, Udyr is merely a situational solution and cannot always prove effective. When this sluggish champion had yet to show his potential, KT quickly exploited his weaknesses—being too passive in gank and counter-gank situations—to obliterate T1’s Bottom Lane.
Consequently, Game 2 completely belonged to KT. Moving into Game 3, T1 once again locked in Vayne, and this champion once more brought hope to them, balancing the game more.
However, with just one moment of failed teamfight, T1 managed to secure Baron but lost 3 kills in the process, and that was more than enough for KT to surge into the Nexus and finish the game.
Losing the match 1-2, T1 continues to plunge deeper into crisis with 3 consecutive defeats. And more importantly, they still show no signs of adapting to the new meta of the 2021 season. This is perhaps the most concerning issue for this team, as receiving too many losses will surely have a very negative impact on the mentality of their young players.