eSports Superstar Gumayusi Is Leaving T1 — Here's Why

Shake-ups among eSports teams are not uncommon, but fans of T1 have been in for a wild ride. Not only have they replaced members with questionable substitutes, but one of the best players on the team has recently decided to leave.

Lee "Gumayusi" Min-Hyung is leaving T1, adding to the eSport collective's chaotic 2025. Fans have had some pretty big responses to the decision, and T1 is facing an uphill battle with their new line-up. Here's what we know about why Gumayusi chose to leave T1 and why people are cheering him on.

On Nov. 17, 2025, T1 made the shocking announcement that Gumayusi was leaving, despite having a strong 2025 and bringing success to the team.

The team made the announcement on X (formerly Twitter), stating that, "Gumayusi has concluded his time with T1 as he moves forward to take on a new challenge."

The post continued, "The trophies we lifted together and the legacy he built will always be a proud part of our history and in the hearts of our fans. We are deeply grateful for his dedication, sacrifice, and incredible performances throughout his years with us. As he begins this next chapter, we’ll continue to cheer for him and wish him every success ahead."

While it's a very touching farewell, it doesn't exactly explain Gumayusi's motives for leaving.

In a video shared to YouTube, Gumayusi seemed to suggest that he feels like his professional achievements have reached their conclusion with T1. He explained that he would be embarking on a "new journey," and that he was "sad" and felt "pressure" during his departure from the team.

But despite his relatively neutral explanation for leaving, fans have some theories.

On TikTok, one fan marveled at Gumayusi's comeback after he was returned to the line-up earlier in 2025, writing, "Him getting benched, then coming back and proving himself on the world stage, into leaving the org is the biggest power move I’ve seen, wow."

Another fan criticized the replacement that T1 has tapped, musing, "Peyz is the worst choice for a replacement. But I guess T1 wanna make the worlds run as hard for Faker to carry as possible."

Multiple people criticized T1's management, suggesting that the team fumbled Gumayusi and that he left because he was being held back. One TikToker wrote, "T1s management has been fumbling the position they are in so hard for literally 0 reason. How much more tape can they just throw on the problem before it falls apart? RIP T1 objective control superiority." But another disagreed, responding, "They are 3x straight world champions - saying T1 management has fumbled anything at this point is the wrong takeaway."

And one eSport fan thinks that Gumayusi's departure will shake things up in the competition world, opining, "I don’t think anyone understands how crazy this is. Now that T1 has created multiple legends in one team, now that these legends are spreading to different teams new crazy stories will be created."

It's unclear exactly what went on behind the scenes to prompt Gumayusi's departure, but it seems obvious that his time with the collective has come to a conclusion. Luckily, he doesn't seem to be going anywhere for good, and fans can keep an eye out for where he chooses to surface next.