T1 take out Gen.G in LoL LCK Cup as Smash stakes claim to permanent ADC spot

The LCK Cup has given League of Legends fans their first look at how Korean rosters are performing in this chaotic early meta. T1’s latest win has secured their position as the second-best performing side so far, with much of that success attributable to their rookie Bot Laner Smash.

The rivalry between T1 and Gen.G is one of the more engrossing in professional League of Legends, with the latter often having the upper hand in direct series, despite T1’s successes on the international stage.

Not so this time around, as T1 put in a stellar performance to run out 2-1 winners in the three-game series. Match 1 and 2 were equally one-sided and finished in 32-minutes apiece, with the draft proving to be the major difference maker before a kill had been scored.

The final game was a little more even, moving to 40-minutes, but the victory was rarely in doubt, as T1 dominated teamfights and played perfectly around objectives to make it impossible for Gen.G to get a foothold.

With the series win secured, it’s difficult not to be drawn to the performance of T1’s ADC, who continues to impress despite his controversial inclusion.

Smash may have secured his spot for the season

Gumayusi has been a remarkably consistent ADC for T1 over the last few years, so it was little surprise to see him rewarded with a new contract that carries him through to the end of 2025.

That also had the knock-on effect of making his dropping from the team all the more baffling when it first happened at the LCK Cup.

Though it’s technically pre-season, it’s unusual for teams to bring in players who aren’t going to feature in the regular season. So when Smash replaced Guma, portions of the fan base were worried about his future, and, with the rookie’s performances to this point, it’s easy to see why.

In the series against Gen.G, Smash went 25/2/16 in an unbelievable display that set him apart as the standout player among some of the best to ever do it. At just 18 years old, his prowess is genuinely impressive, but it may be his suitability for the current meta that finally sees him win out over Gumayusi in the T1 roster.

The current meta for ADCs is a convoluted one, and previously stalwart picks are not necessarily gelling with broader team comps. Smash’s ability to turn his hand impressively to picks like Zeri, could see him preferred to Guma when it comes to international tournaments.

That versatility at such a young age is genuinely exciting and, if he can bottle up this early momentum and use it to progress, the sky is the limit. Despite that, there are plenty of ways for Gumayusi to restore his undisputed spot, though the more Smash continues to impress, the harder it will be to do.