At the upcoming MSI 2023, T1 will compete alongside Gen.G directly in the group stage. LCK is also the only major region with two representatives who do not have to play in the Play-In stage. This is a privilege for LCK after their impressive achievements at the World Championship 2022.
However, T1 is not expected to perform well in this tournament. The reason stems from the fact that Faker and his teammates have lost 4 out of the last 5 finals they participated in. Moreover, those are 4 consecutive losses (MSI 2022, LCK Summer 2022, World Championship 2022, and LCK Spring 2023). Not to mention, some T1 players like Zeus and Oner often underperform in crucial finals.
When T1 players are facing issues, the best performer in the finals is none other than Gumayusi. However, recently, the 2002-born ADC has lost his usual confidence. Initially, Gumayusi shared that he wanted to win the World Championship title at least once with the current lineup. But at that time, Gumayusi also stated that if they continued to perform like this, T1 would have to make personnel changes.
Notably, in a recent statement, Gumayusi commented on the championship title: “In the world of League of Legends, championship titles do not hold much significance. For many people, how many titles you win doesn’t matter. You win a title this season, but perform poorly next season, and you’ll be criticized immediately. Therefore, for me, every day is a new journey”.
In fact, Gumayusi’s statement is absolutely correct. Even players who just won the World Championship like Deft, BeryL, Zeka, Kingen, and Pyosik faced numerous criticisms in the recent Spring Split due to poor performance. For many viewers, titles are fleeting, and they are quick to overlook the efforts of players beforehand.
However, Gumayusi’s comments were manipulated by some anti-fans to direct criticism towards him. Some even accused Gumayusi of disrespecting Gen.G’s championship title. This has made many T1 fans “angry” and post numerous articles on forums to “clear the name” for the 2002-born ADC.
With his personality, it is not the first time Gumayusi has been mischaracterized like this. However, it is certain that many people agree with Gumayusi’s point of view. The support of fans is something every player desires. But sometimes, this affection turns into anger whenever players perform poorly, and this pressure can further sink a team into crisis.