SKT T1 Legend Sparks Controversy Over Gumayusi’s Champion Pool
Throughout his career, Gumayusi has played a wide variety of champions in the ADC role during official matches. Over time, he has continuously improved his champion pool, partly due to meta demands and partly because of the Fearless Draft system. However, it’s undeniable that Gumayusi was once regarded as being most proficient with a select few champions, forming a default mindset for many in the LoL community. But to hear such an assessment from an expert like MaRin is a clear mistake.
Recently, during the Road to MSI 2026 match against T1, MaRin, streaming as a T1-affiliated streamer, co-streamed the game. The former SKT T1 captain commented: “Isn’t Gumayusi only good at Jhin and Miss Fortune? Why not ban those champions?” This comment came while MaRin was watching the bans and picks for T1 and HLE in the decisive game 4.
This instantly sparked intense debates that continue to this day. Many believe MaRin’s affiliation with T1 may have biased his view in favor of his team. However, the judgment that Gumayusi excels only at Jhin and Miss Fortune is an error unworthy of someone who has often used expert knowledge to argue with fans.
– Does MaRin know why Gumayusi didn’t pick Jhin as his skin champion for last year’s Worlds?
– MaRin said Gumayusi is only good at Jhin and MF, but throughout the BO5, he used Ziggs and Senna to send T1 to the losers’ bracket without touching those two champions, and even played Kog’Maw for the first time in his career.
– Playing Ziggs aggressively against Aphelios and still being criticized for only being good at Jhin and MF.
Gumayusi and Teammates’ Strength Lies in Their Diverse Champion Pools
In reality, except for Delight who hasn’t yet performed at “max ping” with buff-support champions, the other four HLE members have wide and diverse champion pools ranging from AP to physical damage. Even champions once considered weak points for members have gradually improved, such as Ziggs for Gumayusi and Taliyah for Zeka.
Thanks to this, HLE can employ a variety of strategies and achieve strong results. This was proven in the early part of the 2026 season and is expected to continue at the upcoming MSI.