Former T1 AD carry Lee “Gumayusi” Min-hyeong went live to personally address his departure from the legendary Korean organization and his upcoming move to Hanwha Life Esports. The unscheduled stream served one clear purpose: shutting down rumors that online harassment drove him away from T1.
“Some people have said things like ‘He left because of the people who hated him,'” Gumayusi said during the broadcast. “That’s absolutely not the case. I never thought switching teams would make that problem go away and I don’t pay attention to that stuff.”
The statement directly contradicts widespread speculation that targeted harassment from anti-fan communities played a role in his transfer. Gumayusi made it clear that he doesn’t make career decisions based on anonymous online hate.
Instead, he framed the HLE move as a normal professional decision. He repeatedly described joining Hanwha Life as a “fresh start” in his career, emphasizing new challenges and a new environment rather than fleeing something at T1.
Gumayusi spoke respectfully about his former organization throughout the stream. He thanked T1 and expressed gratitude for his time there, offering no criticism of staff, coaches, or teammates. The 22-year-old also addressed his fanbase directly, thanking them for their support during both highs and lows. He made clear he wanted to give fans closure and asked them to stop over-analyzing interpersonal drama.
His departure marks a significant shift in the League of Legends competitive scene. Gumayusi was part of T1’s celebrated “ZOFGK” lineup that dominated Korean League of Legends and won the 2023 World Championship on home soil. Many fans expected him to eventually become the face of T1 after Faker’s retirement, making his exit particularly shocking.
The fresh start era
At Hanwha Life, Gumayusi reunites with former teammate Choi “Zeus” Woo-je, who left T1 earlier in the offseason. HLE now fields multiple world champions across its roster, including mid laner Kim “Zeka” Geon-woo, who won Worlds 2022 with DRX.
T1 replaced Gumayusi with former Gen.G AD carry Kim “Peyz” Su-hwan, completing a major roster overhaul after their championship run.
