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Faker answers fans’ biggest question: “Will Gumayusi return to starting lineup?”

BBG News

Will Gumayusi regain his position as a starter in Team T1? Faker expresses his views and sends encouraging words to his colleague.

The 2025 League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) Cup has wrapped up its Group Stage, and T1 has made it to the Play-ins by leading Group Baron with a 4 wins and 1 loss record. Although their impressive performance is being acknowledged, fans are pondering over a particular topic: Will top bot laner Lee “Gumayusi” Min-hyung regain his starting position, given how well Sin “Smash” Guem-jae has been adapting to the team’s current playstyle?

Gumayusi benched, Smash steps in

In an unexpected turn of events during the 2025 LCK Cup Group Stage, team T1 opted to sideline player Gumayusi following just two matches, instead choosing T1 Academy’s bot laner, Smash, to take his place. This move incited debate, primarily due to a perceived lack of communication from the organization, leaving spectators clueless about the motivation behind the substitution.

In spite of initial doubts about the newcomer, Smash consistently gave exceptional performances, perfectly adapting to T1’s aggressive gameplay and showcasing a wide variety of champions – a valuable trait in the tournament’s Fearless Draft format. His influence was significant, particularly in T1’s crucial win against Gen.G, a historically challenging rival.

Gumayusi grinding in Solo Queue

Hey there, gaming community! I just wanted to reach out and let you all know that I’ve been taking some time to focus on improving my skills. It’s been a bit since I last played, but don’t worry, I’m using this downtime to get even stronger. I can’t wait to make a comeback and show you what I’ve got! Keep supporting T1, we’re in this together. 🕹️💪🏼 #T1Gaming

His behavior aligns with his statements. On January 26th, as per DPM LoL data, he had risen to the pinnacle of the Korean Solo Queue leaderboard among all LCK players, demonstrating his commitment. At the time this article was published, he had played 93 ranked matches since being sidelined and currently holds a League Points (LP) total of 1,341, placing him fourth, trailing behind Deokdam, Canyon, and Viper.

In Solo Queue, Gumayusi often follows the present bot lane strategy by regularly choosing champions like Ezreal, Kai’Sa, and Zeri. This persistent effort he puts in suggests his unwavering resolve to come back even more powerful.

Will Gumayusi Return? Faker answers

After T1’s successful performance in the LCK Cup, fans have been anxiously waiting for news about whether Gumayusi will return to his starting position. During a post-game interview on February 1 after T1 beat Gen.G, their mid laner Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok addressed this issue directly.

With the play-in and playoffs approaching, we’ll step up our preparation efforts, refining our strategies based on what we’ve already developed for these competitions.

Gumayusi and his team are progressing nicely. I have high hopes that he will come back in top shape, so let’s all rally behind him. Please show your support for Gumayusi generously!

– Faker, 2025 LCK Cup post-match interview (fan-translated)

On February 8th, T1’s next game in the LCK Cup Play-ins is scheduled. Their opponent will be determined by the outcome of the NS vs BRO match. The intriguing matter at hand: Will Gumayusi be back in time for this encounter, or will T1 persist with Smash, who has been performing exceptionally well on the Rift?

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2025-02-04 22:15

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