Zeus’s “Salted Fish” in T1
With the current pressure from Fearless Draft, teams must expand their strategies and adapt to the dynamics of their opponents. Additionally, they need to have various contingency plans to avoid being “caught off guard,” especially in matches that could extend beyond three games. One of the champions that has unexpectedly re-emerged and is being utilized more frequently is Yorick. However, this champion does not seem to be performing well. T1 is also one of the teams that has failed while using Yorick.
However, for Zeus, the star player of T1, there has been a more comprehensive assessment even though he has not used this champion until the current stage of the 2025 Regular Seasons. According to Zeus, “Yorick has become stronger in many areas of the game, but team fights remain irrelevant. I think if you pick Yorick, you need to play well in the lanes; focusing solely on team fights is not effective.”
Yet, the division of labor within Zeus’s playstyle shows that the choice of Yorick has “derailed” T1’s gameplay. Anyone can see that T1 of the past (when Zeus and Gumayusi were still at their peak) focused on the win lane – win game philosophy combined with effective team fighting. It is rare for T1 to achieve victory with a purely lane-dominating strategy. However, Yorick is indeed a champion that is not very impactful in team fights.
The choice of Yorick could be seen as a major mistake by T1 and inadvertently made T1’s gameplay become “chaotic.” With champions like Viktor and Jinx—both strong lane champions—when adequately leveled and equipped, the team fights are also very strong, yet choosing Yorick for Doran has made him lag behind. Furthermore, Jinx is a hyper-carry champion in Gumayusi’s hands but is often left vulnerable with this current champion choice. Viktor and Yorick do not provide adequate cover for the AD carry.
Zeus and T1 Are Completely Opposite Ends of the Spectrum
At HLE, Zeus remains a key player with the highest personal performance and is supported by a trustworthy team. Looking back at T1, they are currently in a much worse state. And indeed, many T1 fans are lamenting as ZOFGK continues to dominate in various tournaments. While T1 can cause fans to hold their breath, they have not managed to give them both excitement and frustration like they do now.
