“This decision was not made lightly”: Gumayusi returns to T1 line-up after CEO intervention

League of Legends player Lee ‘Gumayusi‘ Min-hyung is re-instated into T1‘s line-up after CEO Joe Marsh overruled a coaching staff decision.

This follows shortly after his announced benching in favour of academy start up Sin ‘Smash’ Guem-jae — a move that sparked backlash online.

Marsh released a public statement on X to T1 fans explaining the silence behind drastic roster changes behind the scenes.

He said: “I understand many of you have been frustrated by our silence regarding roster changes and the possibility of a six-man line-up. Please know that this was never out of disregard for our fans, but rather due to ongoing internal discussions between management and our coaching staff.”

Marsh then went on to explain how coaching staff, including general manager Jeong ‘Becker” Hoi-yoon and head coach Kim ‘kkOma’ Jeong-gyun, favoured Smash in light of his recent performance.

“I have complete trust in Becker, kkOma and the coaching staff,” Marsh said, “and after extensive conversations with them, I have requested that Gumayusi be part of the starting line-up. And as a result, he will be starting when the regular season begins.

“This decision was not made lightly. But as CEO, it is my responsibility to take a long-term view and ensure the best interests of T1.”

For the time being, Gumayusi will remain in line-up at the beginning of the 2025 LCK season. Smash has not been written off just yet, as the two ‘will be competing in practice’ until the coaching staff decide who stands ‘the best chance to win in the long run.’

Marsh said: “I believe he has earned the right to prove himself once again as one of the world’s best BOT (bottom laner). I once said that Gumayusi bled black and red, and I meant that. He has been incredibly loyal to T1, and this is my way of honouring that loyalty.”

Gumayusi was replaced by Smash during the 2025 LCK Spring Split, which came as a surprise to both himself and long time T1 fans.

In a rough translation of a comment made on X, he said: “Hi my precious fans, my long-time fans. You must’ve been shocked, thrown off, and sad after hearing the news. I felt the same way when I first heard about it, but this kind of thing can happen to and occur for anyone.

“So as I slowly looked back on my situation, I came to think of it as an opportunity to grow even further. It’s a position that I worked hard in and protected for 3 years.

“So although my absence might feel awkward, if you continue to believe in me and wait for me as you have done, I will come back with an even cooler version of myself. Thank you as always.”

Fans were upset for a number of reasons. Gumayusi has accumulated a loyal fanbase within T1 as a two time world champion, and while Smash has shown great promise and potential in LCK, the switch puzzled many fans.

The lack of communication also rubbed some fans the wrong way, frustrated that a long-time player for the esports organisation was simply dropped without warning.

Tensions are high for T1, following losing one of their toplaner, Choi ‘Zeus‘ Woo-je, who joined Hanwha Life with ex-rivals such as Han ‘Peanut’ Wang-ho.

Neither Gumuyasi or Smash are being let go, which means that T1 is potentially entering major esports events in 2025 with a six-man roster.

Marsh said: “The decision was made that he [Smash] will remain on our LCK roster for the season. We are confident in his growth and believe he has the potential to develop into an exceptional player.

“And just like the other main roster players, he will begin communicating directly with the fans through T1 Membership, T1 POP and live stream starting March 24th.”

Fans are anticipating who T1 will choose at the end of it all; to stick with a former world champion potentially past his prime, or take the gamble on a promising rookie who has demonstrated potential.

Some are convinced that the delay by the CEO is simply delaying the inevitable, convinced that the coaching staff may stick to their original decision and are counting down the days.

Following T1’s 2-1 win over KT Roster in LCk Cup, kkOma said: “With the LCK season still long, we want to experiment in the LCK Cup to gather as much data as possible.

“This is his first match and we will continue to monitor his progress. He’ll face a lot of pressure, but if he keeps playing like today, I have high hopes for him.”