A few days ago, Gumayusi continued to share his thoughts on the possibility of T1 disbanding its current roster after the 2023 season ends. Previously, T1’s AD Carry also mentioned that this could be the last season the current T1 team plays together, so he wants to bring home the championship at the 2023 World Championship as a beautiful conclusion for this lineup. Of course, this has been anticipated for a long time. But before discussing whether T1 can win the Worlds 2023 or not, the question of who will stay and who will leave has sparked many debates within the League of Legends community, especially among T1 fans.
Zeus: High Chance of Staying
Zeus has always had a significant weakness in terms of mentality when entering finals. However, in all the matches leading up to the finals, Zeus shines as a star. Moreover, this player’s weakness is simply a psychological issue. Therefore, it is highly likely that Zeus will stay. Furthermore, in the current LCK, Zeus is one of the few young players in the Top Lane with potential for development, and T1 certainly does not want to lose this gem.
Oner: 50 – 50
After the LCK Spring 2022, Oner’s performance has fluctuated concerningly. The 2002-born player is a “God of the Jungle” when in good form and playing his comfort champions. However, when his performance dips, even his signature champions like Lee Sin or Viego fail to shine in Oner’s hands. However, the likelihood of Oner leaving is quite low as he is under contract until 2024. At this time, it would be challenging for any team to afford to break that contract. Especially since LCK has implemented a salary cap, all T1 players could impact other teams’ salary budgets.
Faker: 10% Chance of Leaving
It would be utterly unreasonable to say that Faker will leave T1 after the 2023 season ends. He currently has a contract with T1 until 2025 and, more importantly, Faker is the soul of T1. This was evident when Faker took a hiatus due to injury. Certainly, Faker will remain with T1, and the team will do everything possible to keep him.
However, if Faker only leaves T1 as a player, everything remains possible. The reason Faker took a break was due to injury, and that is certainly not a minor injury. Faker will turn 28 in 2024 – a very old age for a player. Moreover, no one can guarantee that Faker’s injury won’t recur in the future. But if Faker and T1 have a succession training plan and he continues to stay with T1 in another capacity, the possibility of the “Demon King” no longer competing could very well happen.
Gumayusi and Keria: 50 – 50
Gumayusi is one of the most stable players on T1, often even more than Faker in many cases. However, he has become the center of criticism due to a single subjective mistake in the finals against Gen.G, which is unfair to him. Moreover, Gumayusi often brings up the topic of leaving, leading to speculation that if T1 does not proactively offer him a contract extension or does not win Worlds 2023, he is likely to leave.
Also up for contract renewal alongside Gumayusi and Zeus is Keria. The talented Support of T1 has gone through several seasons of empty-handed finishes. However, if his close friend Gumayusi leaves T1, it is highly likely that Keria will also choose to depart. Although Keria can coordinate well with various players, whether he stays or not depends on his choice and that of T1. Furthermore, if Keria leaves, many teams will be ready to spend, such as Gen.G, as their Support Delight will also have his contract expire at the end of this year.
Conclusion
Whether or not the current roster disbands and who will leave, there will certainly be many changes at T1 by the end of 2023. And whether things will improve or worsen depends on the team’s performance at the upcoming Worlds 2023.