This Player Could Significantly Impact the Career of Smash Following the T1 – Gumayusi Drama
Recent statements regarding the drama between T1 and Gumayusi have once again stirred the community. Many T1 fans have expressed their frustration across various social media platforms, from the West to China, South Korea, and even Vietnam. However, the future surrounding Gumayusi remains rather vague, and one player that may be affected is Smash.
Specifically, Smash is currently becoming a “key player” in the narrative surrounding the T1 – Gumayusi relationship. Previously, Smash received considerable support due to his impressive performance, and coach KkOma has been keen to highlight that Smash and Gumayusi will rotate to “collect data.” However, as Becker shared, Smash could become a direct competitor during the Regular Seasons alongside Gumayusi.
Thus, for some T1 fans and Gumayusi’s individual supporters, Smash is the direct competitor likely to influence the performance of the 2002-born rookie. It is almost certain that there will be immense pressure on Smash to step up when he is scrutinized. If he replaces Gumayusi, audiences will be especially curious about “What does Smash bring that Gumayusi doesn’t?”.
On the contrary, Smash views this as the end of a season. The Regular Seasons are an essential phase and only have one competition to qualify for MSI and Worlds. Becker has also noted that although the announcement consists of six players, only five will be officially registered to compete.
In addition, Becker has also shared about the possibility that Smash will obtain the rights to personal benefits, such as individual streams (like POPS, T1’s fan interaction channel), memberships, gifts, and cards. However, at some level, this will create opportunities for dedicated T1 fans and Gumayusi fans alike, as well as anti-fans, to confront each other, especially during Gumayusi’s recent performance. When that time comes, Smash will need to withstand pressures and only those who can handle criticism will thrive.
T1’s Handling of the Situation: “There is nothing to fix, only to see it through”
It can be said that as of now, the situation between T1 and Gumayusi shows no signs of cooling down, and it is becoming increasingly heated. A significant part of this is due to traditional handling, and the inconsistency in the decisions made by management leading up to the 2024 World Championship.
