The transfer drama between T1 and Zeus comes from the responsibilities of both sides
In recent days, as the community eagerly awaits major transfer “bombs”, the drama between T1 and Zeus has exploded, inadvertently dragging Doran along. As of now, it can be understood that Zeus received a lucrative offer that was more appealing from Hanwha Life Esports, while T1 failed in its efforts to retain its superstar.
But is T1 really just a “victim”? As a team that is very shrewd, T1 surely understands that negotiating with a superstar like Zeus requires a certain approach. However, they have continuously found themselves in a passive position. This is not necessarily because T1 is incompetent, but simply because: T1 was overconfident and also willing to replace Zeus.
They believed that Zeus, for some reason, such as his ties to OFGK; or the stature and influence, and the accomplishments that T1 could offer would be enough to keep Zeus. That may have been true, if Zeus were not the second top laner in League of Legends history to win 2 World Championships. In fact, Zeus even surpasses his predecessor Duke, as his championships were back-to-back.
Zeus himself may also only see T1 as an option. According to an expert in the Vietnamese League of Legends scene, assuming Zeus also has his own ambitions, such as becoming the main character of ZOFGK and being gradually built to replace Faker. Along with financial issues, contract duration… it is enough for Zeus to contemplate and prepare for an alternative plan if T1 does not accept.
And T1 did not accept. Negotiations to increase the salary but reduce the contract duration (according to Naver from 2+1 years down to 1+1 years) did not meet Zeus’s (or his agent’s) expectations. The negotiations fell apart. It was simply one side maintaining its intentions while the other side could not meet them.
In the T1 – Zeus case (the agent), both sides wanted to maximize their benefits. This is understandable as each side has its own positions. When the interests do not align and become oppositional, separation is inevitable.
The roles of the parties in the T1 – Zeus transfer drama
In the negotiations, each side had different roles. HLE acted as the catalyst and was the best option if T1 did not accept Zeus’s “demands”. Ultimately, they became the destination for this player, with an offer that according to Zeus’s representative was “better”.
T1 can be said to have “almost” become the “victim”. But if it is a team that is truly savvy and understands the market, did Doran really sign a hasty contract and save T1 from “a loss”?
No one knows if T1 had been targeting Doran beforehand or what the surrounding circumstances were. But at least, T1 was ready to let go of Zeus, as Naver reported, they had targeted Kiin as a replacement for their player. This means that T1 was not entirely passive when negotiating with Zeus.
As for Zeus’s representative, as the expert noted, this player authorized his representative to handle everything. However, fundamentally, they were only implementing plans based on Zeus’s wishes. It can be said that they proposed ways to push Zeus away from T1 rather than to continue being tied to this team.
No one in this story does not have their own calculations to ensure their position. But as mentioned, because the interests are conflicting, when one side achieves its goal, another side must be harmed. In this story, that is the T1 fans – those who have devoted their love to ZOFGK, as well as have worked hard to possess a series of commemorative items of this team’s great achievements.