Since his debut in the League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) in 2020, Lee “Gumayusi” Min-hyeong has established himself as a dominant presence in League of Legends esports.
With numerous accolades achieved during his time with T1, including winning the LCK Spring 2022 championship, he has consistently performed at a high level in recent years.
He began his journey as a rookie with a goal to make a name for himself in the Korean esports scene. In the T1 documentary “Gumayusi’s Climb | CARVED: PROVE,” he reflects on the challenges and struggles he faced during those early days as an aspiring pro player.
Gumayusi overcame numerous challenges and almost considered role swapping before becoming T1’s bot laner
In 2017, when he first achieved Challenger rank, he gained attention from top-tier esports organizations in South Korea.
He was then recruited by Afreeca (later renamed Kwangdong Freecs) as a trainee. However, a day before he was set to sign a contract with Afreeca, T1 approached him with an offer.
“Honestly, I didn’t think twice about it,” Gumayusi said in the T1 documentary. “Even though I felt a bond with Afreeca after taking their test, once T1 contacted me, I was leaning towards joining T1.”
He began his journey with T1 as a trainee in 2018, later transitioning to a substitute player in 2020. During this period, Park “Teddy” Jin-seong held the position of the starting bot laner.
There was a moment when the esports organization proposed a role swap for Gumayusi, suggesting he move to the top lane, as they anticipated no changes in the ADC role in their roster anytime soon.
“I was close to giving in,” he admitted. “I seriously considered switching my role to top lane. However, it didn’t quite gel with me so I reverted to ADC.”
VIEW PRICE: Funko Pop Games League of Legends Ashe |
Facing the frustration of not getting into the main roster despite his dedication and talent, Gumayusi reached a breaking point where he contemplated leaving T1.
He persevered through the pressure, ultimately choosing to re-sign with the team. It took three years from the time he first joined as a trainee for him to secure his spot in the starting roster for the 2021 season.
MAKE SOMEONE'S DAY: US$25 League of Legends Gift Card for NA server |
Since then, he has achieved numerous achievements in the League of Legends esports scene.
He also secured podium finishes in international tournaments, though fell just short of claiming first place against DRX at Worlds 2022 and against RNG at MSI 2022, securing second place in both competitions.
Watch the full feature-length T1 documentary on Gumayusi below:
Follow ONE Esports on Facebook and Twitter for more LoL news, guides, and highlights.
Just a heads up, some of the links on ONE Esports are affiliate links. This means if you click on them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. It’s a way for us to keep the site running and provide you with valuable content. Thanks for your support!
READ MORE: Exclusive: ‘I cope with defeat by asking help from God’ says Gumayusi
