At this point, if we had to find the most promising name for the LCK Spring 2022 championship, most LoL fans would immediately think of T1. Not only did they dominate direct rivals like DWG KIA and Gen.G Esports, but in every match, T1 also showcased a highly impressive and convincing playstyle. A notable example is in their recent match against Gen.G, where young player Zeus played a significant role in securing the victory for T1.
However, it can be said that despite the absence of Marksman Ruler, Gen.G still posed quite a challenge for T1. If it weren’t for the “god-like” plays by Faker in Game 1 and Zeus in Game 2, T1 might have faced defeat. Notably, in Game 2, T1 lost the Earth Dragon Soul to Gen.G after a somewhat hasty base race call.
After the match, T1’s top marksman – Gumayusi admitted that he and his teammates were somewhat outplayed by Gen.G in Game 2, both in terms of champion picks and due to their own mistakes: “When we banned Ziggs and Syndra, we expected them to pick a pure marksman. But they chose Viktor, which surprised us. To be honest, Aphelios struggles to be effective against non-marksman champions. Furthermore, after an easy win in Game 1, I became somewhat complacent. As a result, I went down quite a bit. Luckily, my teammates were there to carry.”
Additionally, Gumayusi expressed regret for Gen.G because they have never faced T1 with their strongest lineup. While he confidently stated they could win even if Gen.G had no personnel losses, Gumayusi still hopes for a fair matchup in the future, with both teams fielding their strongest rosters.
When asked about the new champion Renata, Gumayusi shared his thoughts. He believes the champion is slow and lacks mobility. Not quite a pure support, but also not a mage that can disrupt enemies during lane. According to Gumayusi’s assessment, Renata will likely be “discarded” when appearing in the professional arena.
But still, there is a long way to go until Renata can make her appearance. If Riot can make adjustments, or if players find the right direction for this champion, who knows, Renata might be used by T1 and bring victories for Faker and his teammates.