Will Gumayusi reclaim his spot in the T1 starting lineup? Faker shares his thoughts and offers supportive messages to his teammate.
The 2025 League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) Cup has concluded its Group Stage with T1 successfully advancing to the Play-ins after finishing at the top of Group Baron with a 4W-1L record. However, despite the strong performance, one question is being discussed among fans: Will star bot laner Lee "Gumayusi" Min-hyung return to his starting spot, especially with how well Sin "Smash" Guem-jae has been fitting into the team's current playstyle?
Gumayusi benched, Smash steps in
In a surprising move during the 2025 LCK Cup Group Stage, T1 decided to bench Gumayusi after only playing for two series, replacing him with T1 Academy’s bot laner, Smash. The decision sparked controversy, mainly due to a lack of transparency from the organization, leaving fans in the dark about the reasoning behind the swap.
Despite initial skepticism towards the rookie, Smash delivered outstanding performances, fitting seamlessly into T1’s aggressive playstyle and demonstrating a deep champion pool — an asset in the tournament’s Fearless Draft format. His impact was undeniable, especially in T1’s crucial victory against Gen.G, a long-time domestic rival that has historically been a tough opponent.
Gumayusi grinding in Solo Queue
Following his benching, Gumayusi addressed fans via the T1 fan account on Jan. 24, reassuring them that he was using the time to improve and make a strong comeback.
His actions have backed up his words. Data from DPM LoL on Jan. 26 showed that he had climbed to the top of the Korean Solo Queue leaderboard among all LCK players, proving his dedication. As of this article's publication, he has played 93 ranked matches since being benched and is currently sitting at 1,341 LP, placing him fourth behind Deokdam, Canyon, and Viper.
Gumayusi’s champion pool in Solo Queue has also aligned with the current bot lane meta, frequently playing Ezreal, Kai’Sa, and Zeri. His relentless grind signals his determination to return stronger than ever.
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Will Gumayusi return? Faker answers
With T1’s solid results in the LCK Cup so far, fans have been eagerly awaiting confirmation on whether Gumayusi will reclaim his starting spot. T1's mid laner Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok addressed the question in a post-match interview on Feb. 1 following T1’s victory over Gen.G:
"Now that we have the play-in and playoffs coming up, we will prepare even harder based on what we have prepared for the competitions so far.
Gumayusi and our team are doing well. I believe he'll return, in an even better form, so please give a lot of support to Gumayusi as well."
T1’s next match in the LCK Cup Play-ins will take place on Feb. 8, where they will face the winner of the NS vs BRO matchup. The big question remains: Will Gumayusi make his return by then, or will T1 stick with Smash, who has been "smashing" on the Rift?
Stay tuned on esports.gg for T1 updates.
