Who is T1 Smash? Get to know the explosive rookie AD Carry

The 2025 League of Legends Championship Korea (LCK) Cup has become even more exciting — ot just because of the Fearless Draft format, but also due to the arrival of promising new talent. Among them is T1’s latest addition, Sin "Smash" Guem-jae, the team’s sixth player.

This LCK rookie has quickly turned heads with his explosive performance in the bot lane, playing a crucial role in T1’s quest to win the tournament and secure a spot in the 2025 First Stand.

Let’s take a closer look at T1 Smash, the rising star AD Carry making waves in the LCK Cup.

Born on Jul. 20, 2006 (18 years old), Smash is currently the youngest player on T1’s main roster and the second youngest on the T1 Academy roster. In the 2025 LCK Cup, he is the third youngest player overall, following DK Siwoo (born Nov. 24, 2007) and BFX Diable (born Oct. 17, 2007).

Smash’s journey with T1 began in 2021 when he joined the T1 Rookies (T1 Academy) on Jul. 18. His professional career officially kicked off on Dec. 27, 2022, when he became part of the T1 Esports Academy roster.

Throughout his time at the academy, Smash played alongside several support players, including Han "Baut" Jin-sol, Kang "Minous" Min-woo, Moon "Cloud" Hyeon-ho, and even legendary AD Carry-turned-support Martin "Rekkles" Larsson. After refining his skills in the academy, he earned a promotion to T1’s main roster on Jan. 24, 2025, where he is now paired with support Ryu Min-seok.

Smash made his LCK Cup debut during the group stage against KT, catching many by surprise as T1 had not announced why Gumayusi was absent. For most viewers, this was their first time seeing Smash play on a major stage, as he had never participated in a Tier-1 tournament.

This was in contrast to fellow academy players like Poby, who stood in for Faker during his wrist injury in July 2023, and Guwon, who subbed in for Oner in March 2024.Despite the uncertainty surrounding his debut, Smash quickly silenced any doubts.

He earned the Player of the Match title in his first-ever LCK Cup match, the iconic Telecom War against KT. He continued to impress by delivering a standout performance against Gen.G — T1’s long-time rival, whom they have struggled to defeat in domestic tournaments. With strong team coordination, Smash held his own against veteran bot laner Park "Ruler" Jae-hyuk, securing another Player of the Match title.

Additionally, his impressive performance earned him the 2025 LCK Cup Week 3 Woori Bank Gold King award.

At the time of this article written on Feb. 11, Smash is ranked #5 on the Korean solo queue leaderboard with 1,594 LP and a 62% win rate, according to DPM LoL. He currently holds the highest rank among T1 players, surpassing Gumayusi (1,112 LP), Doran (1,109 LP), Oner (1,099 LP), Faker (745 LP), and Keria (719 LP).

In the overall LCK rankings, he is fourth behind GEN Canyon (1,499 LP), KT deokdam (1,581 LP), and HLE Viper (1,888 LP). Keep in mind that rankings change frequently, so for the latest stats, check out DPM LoL. Do note that the insight here is based on data from Feb. 11. You can check Smash's updated statistics on DPM LoL.

Smash’s current contract with T1 runs until Nov. 17, 2025, as listed in the official LoL Esports Global Contract Database (GCD). While it’s too early to predict his future, his strong performances suggest that he will have multiple options.

T1 has a history of fostering talent from its academy and retaining rising stars, as seen with players like Gumayusi and Oner. Given Smash’s potential, T1 may extend his contract for another year or two. However, other LCK teams looking for a promising AD Carry might also make enticing offers.

Interest from international teams is also a possibility. The LCK is widely regarded as the strongest region in LoL Esports, and foreign teams regularly scout its players. For example, former T1 players Bang and Wolf both found success in international leagues. More recently, Smash’s former academy teammate, Guwon, joined the Japanese team DetonatioN FocusMe.

Before joining T1’s main roster, Smash was Rekkles’ bot lane partner during their time at T1 Academy. Rekkles, a renowned AD Carry who later transitioned to support, spoke highly of Smash’s abilities:

Additionally, in response to LoL Esports’ post on Feb. 1 praising Smash’s performance, Rekkles shared a heartfelt message on X (formerly Twitter), saying, "He grew up so fast."

As a recent addition to T1’s main roster, Smash hasn’t had as much promotional content as the team’s veteran members. However, fans can watch T1 Academy vlogs, which include 11 episodes uploaded by T1 in 2024, offering a glimpse into his journey.

For direct updates, Smash has an Instagram account, though it remains relatively inactive due to his current focus on the tournament. Fans can expect him to become more active on social media and appear in more T1 content as the season progresses.

Stay tuned on esports.gg for T1 Smash updates.