T1 Gumayusi discusses team expectations at MSI 2023

Despite the surprise of falling behind in the early game, the second seed of League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) hit back with a vengeance as they tore the MAD Lions apart. With T1 showing that they were very much on top form in their first match, and as one of the expected contenders for winning the tournament, we sat down with ADC Lee "Gumayusi" Min-hyeong to ask about how he felt about facing Europe's top team at the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI 2023) event.

Question: Your Aphelios is known for being incredibly talented. Were you surprised it wasn’t banned? Why did you want to bring it out on the international stage so soon?

Gumaysui: Aphelios is a really strong pick in this meta, which is why I bought it out early in the tournament. As for MAD not banning my picks, I think it is because the other laners are also very flexible. And so MAD had to focus on who to ban out the most out of the other lanes other than just me as an ADC.

Question: In the first game, the MAD Lions took the early game and really got picks on you. Was this something you had expected or had been concerned about?

Gumaysui: Game two was a really hard match for us, and game one was difficult, too, but I think the main reason for this was because we were just not ready for Professor Hyli’s Pyke and picks.

Question: What are you enjoying about getting to play at MSI in London?

Gumaysui: I think it is probably just the fact that London is one of those cities that people always want to visit and say they went to, so it’ll be cool to get to visit and do that tourist stuff and enjoy it.

Question: The T1 team has such a star-studded history. Is there pressure on you to live up to expectations?

Gumaysui: Being a part of T1 doesn’t really give me that much pressure, to be honest. It just gives me a clear goal to win and strive to achieve it.

Question: The desk was talking about how you are a reliable force for this team. Is this something you actively try to take on or just something that happens?

Gumaysui: I think my role as an ADC is what makes me a reliable force for my team. If I play stable and aim for the late game, then I can generally be that stability.

Question: You are a well-known and well-respected player. Before heading into matches, do you find yourself getting nervous? If so, how do you deal with it?

Gumaysui: I don’t really get nervous for our matches, but if I do, I try to focus on my breathing, take deep breaths, and let that calm the nerves.

Question: What does being a pro player mean to you?

Gumaysui: I'm really thankful I get to be a pro player. We get so much support from our fans wherever we are. And of course it pays well, which is nice. It is a job that I consistently work hard on, which can be difficult as to stay at the top, you can’t stop and expect to continue doing well.

Question: What were your family's thoughts on you wanting to become a pro player?

Gumaysui: My older brother being a pro gamer already was a factor. When I told my parents I wanted to be a pro player, they were not super happy about this as they knew this would mean they had two pro gamers in the family. But when I showed lots of improvement and started doing well, they started to support me a lot.

Question: Is there a story behind your in-game name?

Gumaysui: It was just really random. I chose it originally because when I was trying to get an account in a different game, all the names I was after were taken. So I just went for something totally random, it worked, and wasn’t taken. I brought it across to League where it worked, too. But as it was totally random, it doesn’t have any formal meaning behind it.

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