ADC player Gumayusi officially returns to T1 following CEO's intervention after listening to huge fans' demand..

Joe Marsh, CEO of Korean League of Legends powerhouse T1, announced on Wednesday through the official Twitter account that after listening to the demands of a large number of fans, he has decided to intervene in the coaching team's decision and let the original Bot / ADC player Gumayusi return to the main roster immediately.

Marsh wrote in a tweet: "To our T1 fans, first of all, I want to thank you for your unwavering support as we prepare for the 2025 LCK season. Your passion and dedication inspire our team, and we are excited to defend our consecutive world championships. With the Fearless Draft format in place throughout the season, we anticipate new challenges ahead and are eager to tackle them together."

"I understand that many of you have been frustrated by our silence on roster changes and the possibility of a six-man roster. Please know that this is in no way out of disregard for the fans, but rather due to ongoing internal discussions between management and our coaching staff as we work to find the best path forward."

"I have complete trust in Becker, kkOma, and the coaching staff, and after extensive conversations with them, I have asked Gumayusi to be part of the starting lineup, and as a result, he will start at the start of Season 2."

"This decision was not made lightly, but as CEO, it is my responsibility to think long-term and ensure the best interests of T1."

"While Gumayusi will start the new season, he and Smash will compete in practice and push each other throughout the year. The coaching staff will ultimately decide which player will enable us to win long-term. ”

Marsh’s statement explains the doubts and demands that fans have been obsessed with since T1 suddenly announced in January that Gumayusi would be demoted and replaced with Smash in the Bot / ADC role.

In fact, fans have long expressed their dissatisfaction with Gumayusi’s sudden benching. Many people were stunned by the decision to replace the player, but the coaching staff praised Smash’s recent performance, which put Marsh in an awkward dilemma in the decision-making power of T1’s roster members.

About Gumayusi

The 23-year-old Gumayusi, whose real name is Lee Min-hyung, was born on February 6, 2002 in South Korea. His teammate Faker is his distant relative, and his brother INnoVation is a former professional StarCraft 2 e-sports player in South Korea.

Gumayusi started playing League of Legends in 2018, mainly as a Bot / ADC player.

At the time, he played for the amateur team KeG Seoul, and became famous when he represented the LCK powerhouse Hanhwa Life Esports (HLE) in the 2018 KeSPA Cup Finals with a 2:1 upset.

Soon after, Gumayusi officially joined T1 under the name of Catan and became its trainee.

While a trainee, Gumayusi represented T1's rookie team, T1 Rookies, in the 2019 LoL Amateur Tournament and won in 2019.

In November of the same year, Gumayusi was officially promoted to the T1 main team and made his T1 debut in the LCK Regional Finals the following year, defeating Afreeca Freecs 3:1.

In January 2021, Gumayusi officially became a main member of the T1 lineup in the 2021 LCK Spring Split. During this spell, he achieved the first pentakill milestone in his personal career with Aphelios.

The following year, Gumayusi broke the record for the most kills in a single season with 219 kills. He was also part of the team that achieved an 18-0 record in the season, making T1 the first team in the LCK to achieve this record.

Since becoming a member of T1, Gumayusi has won the League of Legends World Championship twice, the 2024 Esports World Cup, and the LCK Spring Split twice with the team.

Personally, he has been selected as the first team Bot Lane player in the LCK Spring twice, the LCK Award Bot Lane Player of the Year twice, the LCK Award Gold King Award, and other honours. He also won the IeSF 10th Esports World Championship for South Korea and was inducted into the Esports Hall of Fame in 2022.