As known, in the match against FearX, T1’s Support Keria used Ezreal and Neeko for the Support position. Notably, apart from the case of PoohManDu who only swapped lanes with teammates, Keria might be the first player to use Ezreal as a pure Support in a professional match in LCK history. Not only a marksman, Ezreal is also considered a champion that defines AD carries in the League of Legends scene in Korea. One cannot be a great LCK marksman without being able to play Ezreal. Therefore, Keria’s choice to use Ezreal as a pure Support has sparked much discussion in the League of Legends community.
According to his lane partner and closest teammate, Gumayusi, this choice from both of them can be described as a “risky” decision. Specifically, Gumayusi shared during a livestream: “Actually, the preparation for Ezreal Support was beyond my control, but I did encourage him to use that champion in a professional match. Of course, we practiced thoroughly. But Keria also confidently believed that Ezreal could win against Renata. And indeed, Renata was in that match, so I challenged him to use Ezreal right away.”
Gumayusi’s disclosure and earlier comments from Coach KkOma show that Keria’s choices, though seemingly “unusual”, had been practiced beforehand. It was just a matter of whether Keria would choose to use them in professional matches. Moreover, allowing Keria to be comfortable with his choices further demonstrates Gumayusi’s significant “sacrifice”. Everyone understands that Ezreal Support, if it doesn’t “hinder” the team’s marksman, is already a good thing, not to mention whether it has any effect or not. The reason is that this champion is inherently fragile and lacks crowd control, while the Teleport is not particularly extensive.
T1 has dared to experiment and is showing that it is the right path. With the results achieved, it is possible that in the near future, T1 will continue to explore new choices. This may also provide players with thorough evaluations and preparations, as T1’s goal is not only in the group stage but also in the titles.