In the recent LCK Summer 2023 finals, T1 was swept 0-3 by Gen.G. The level of dominance was undeniable as Chovy and his teammates made T1 players look confused with any strategy they employed. All three games had similar narratives where T1 started with a slight advantage or an equal footing against Gen.G, but when Gen.G accelerated, T1 revealed vulnerabilities and was completely dismantled.
On a day when names like Oner and Zeus were closely monitored, fans hoped Gumayusi would shine as he typically does. And it cannot be denied that the 2002-born AD carry gave his all. However, compared to his junior Peyz, who had an outstanding performance, alongside teammates executing their strategy and peak form, Gumayusi’s display was undeniably overshadowed. In fact, in the third game, he made a crucial mistake despite being the main source of damage. It could be said that even Gumayusi would find it hard to be satisfied with his performance.
On several forums among LPL fans, numerous opinions called for Gumayusi to retire. Some even wished for T1 to bring Viper back. However, this faced strong opposition from LCK fans, not just T1 supporters. The reason being, Gumayusi’s talent is indisputable. During the time T1 was without Faker, it was Gumayusi, and no one else, who worked hard and performed at his best in the T1 lineup.
– “How many times has this AD carry (Gumayusi) lost in the finals already?”
– “AD carry, just retire! Gumayusi, just retire!”
– “What are they doing? Has Viper even made it to any finals since returning to LCK?”
– “Always losing to T1, yet they want to replace Gumayusi?”
– “A request for someone like Ruler makes sense, but T1.Viper should be playing in qualifiers?”
Moreover, one opinion countered sharply: “The LPL region always tries to bring down LCK’s AD carries to elevate their own. Don’t forget that in recent seasons, LPL’s AD carries could only defeat Gumayusi absolutely with Ruler. But he also transitioned from LCK. Elk and Hope have not been able to dominate or beat Gumayusi when facing him. Even Viper has lost to Gumayusi many times already.”
This argument is entirely valid as JD Gaming (with Hope) and Edward Gaming (when Viper was still there) have previously lost to T1. Meanwhile, since moving to HLE, Viper has also struggled to beat T1 when their lineup is complete. Viper has not shown much whenever he faced Gumayusi. The 2002-born AD carry remains a top-tier player for T1, LCK, and the League of Legends scene. Furthermore, League of Legends is a team sport. It would be unreasonable and unfair to criticize individual players for the team’s overall failure.