Smash vs Gumayusi: Who Will Secure a Spot on T1’s Main Roster?

T1 is a legendary name in professional League of Legends, and few would argue with that. It’s the most decorated team in the game’s history, having won five World Championships. These titles and victories were made possible thanks to every member of the roster.

Today, we’re going to talk about two of them — Smash and Gumayusi. Let’s try to figure out what could happen if Smash replaces Gumayusi in the starting lineup. Would that be the right decision? And most importantly — is there a real reason behind all this speculation?

The Legendary ZOFGK Roster and Zeus’ Departure

Let’s start with the T1 roster that dominated the professional League of Legends scene for several years. The ZOFGK lineup — Zeus, Oner, Faker, Gumayusi, Keria — captured the hearts of fans all over the world. Their matches were the kind you simply didn’t want to miss.

Starting in 2022, this roster already showed strong performances and made every opponent nervous — facing these guys was never going to be easy. Overall, 2022 was a successful year for the team, as T1 made it all the way to the Worlds 2022 Grand Final, where they faced off against DRX. In a tense and dramatic series, T1 unfortunately lost 2–3.

Naturally, that second-place finish brought a wave of criticism, much of it directed at the team’s top laner — Zeus. But in my humble opinion, Zeus performed really well, especially considering that this was just the beginning of what would become a legendary lineup.

2023 and 2024 were completely under T1’s control. They won nearly every tournament they attended, and even when they didn’t, they still finished in the top 4. During these two years, the ZOFGK roster made history by winning the World Championship twice in a row. These victories sent a clear message to the world about who the number one team was — and of course, solidified Faker’s legendary status even further.

It felt like nothing could stop this roster, and many believed it would stay together for a long time — or at least until a natural decline in form. But then something happened that caused a massive stir in the global esports media: Zeus left T1.

The news shocked everyone — from fans to the T1 organization itself. Zeus left the legendary lineup without giving a reason or any explanation. Without even meeting with T1’s management, he and his agent didn’t offer any counter-proposal, nor did they try to negotiate a new deal. Instead, they held quick talks with Hanwha Life Esports — and just like that, within hours, the legendary roster lost its top laner.

With the 2025 season right around the corner, T1 had to act fast. The management and coaching staff made the decision to sign Doran, a free agent at the time and former HLE player. And that’s where the problems began.

Is Gumayusi Leaving T1?

After Zeus left and Doran joined the team, many T1 fans and analysts pointed out that this wasn’t an equal replacement. Doran lacked the experience and overall game level that Zeus had shown. These kinds of conversations are normal — especially when big roster changes happen in a team as strong as T1. But T1 stuck to what they do best: they kept practicing and focused on showing their best performance.

However, the first red flags began to appear during LCK Cup 2025. The team successfully made it through the group stage and advanced to playoffs via the play-in round. That’s where the bracket played a cruel trick — T1 faced HLE in the very first round of playoffs. The match was incredibly intense, with both teams fighting until the very end, but in the end, HLE came out on top with a 3–2 win. This marked the first time in a long while that T1 were eliminated in the very first round of a tournament. Just a few days later, HLE went on to lift the LCK Cup 2025 trophy, with Zeus named the tournament MVP.

During LCK 2025, fans only saw Gumayusi play at the start of the tournament. Starting from the play-in stage, T1 made a temporary change — Smash, T1’s rookie ADC, replaced Gumayusi. Naturally, this substitution raised a lot of questions among the fanbase.

The decision to make the change was explained by T1's coaching staff as part of their experimentation strategy during the LCK Cup. General Manager Jeong "Becker" Hoi-yoon stated that since the tournament didn’t impact qualification for Worlds, it was the perfect opportunity to test new combinations and evaluate the potential of emerging talent. Smash had impressed during scrims, which led to his inclusion in the starting lineup.

Smash went on to deliver a standout performance, especially in matches against Gen.G and KT Rolster, where his Kai’Sa games were praised for high KDA and great execution in teamfights.

Following the end of LCK Cup 2025, T1 CEO Joe Marsh confirmed that the team would be using a six-man roster for the 2025 season, with Gumayusi and Smash competing for the ADC role. This announcement sparked mixed reactions, particularly given Gumayusi’s contributions to T1’s past success.

The situation raised even more questions when fans learned that Gumayusi had only signed a one-year contract with T1. Many interpreted this as a conspiracy to push him out of the team — but is that really the case?

T1 management clarified that it was Gumayusi’s own decision to sign a one-year deal, noting that many players opt for short-term contracts to keep flexibility in the market. Joe Marsh explained the choice with the following:

“Gumayusi is betting on himself, and a one-year deal helps him stay hungry and motivated. He has an exceptional mindset and incredible mental toughness — I deeply respect the way he carries himself both on and off the Rift. His maturity is beyond his years. Guma is the embodiment of T1.”

What If Smash Fully Replaces Gumayusi?

Judging by statements from T1’s management and players, it seems clear that they’re not planning to part ways with Gumayusi — at least for now. The only scenarios where such a replacement might happen are: either Smash delivers incredible results while Gumayusi’s performance declines, or Gumayusi himself chooses to leave once his contract ends.

But let’s entertain the idea — what would actually happen if this switch were to take place? To start, I’d like to take a quick look at some victory statistics.

The stats clearly show that Gumayusi has a significant edge over the young player. Especially at top-tier tournaments, experience matters a lot — and Gumayusi has plenty of it. On top of that, he developed under the wing of the legendary Faker, who taught him a great deal, which shouldn’t be overlooked. And let’s not forget Gumayusi’s age — 23. He’s a bot laner in his prime, at the peak of his abilities, with a highly disciplined approach to both himself and his training. If such a replacement does happen, T1 stands to lose a lot.

But considering the words of the CEO, coaches, and the players themselves, it seems like the organization is simply trying to avoid another “Zeus situation.” Instead of scrambling to find an external replacement, it’s easier to bring up a young, promising player you already know well and understand how he fits into the team. Giving Smash the chance to play at the highest level can provide him with a massive boost in both confidence and skill. And of course, playing alongside legends doesn’t come without its benefits.

As for Gumayusi himself — in my opinion, he’s not going anywhere. He has a great contract, and all the talk about his departure is just speculation. Guma is a player who holds himself to a high standard and takes his responsibilities seriously. And let’s not forget — his youth is his biggest weapon. At just 23 years old, he’s already a two-time Worlds champion and the winner of numerous other S-tier tournaments.