Is T1 prepping to drop Faker with LCK roster shuffle?

Nicholas James Published 22/02/2021

As the 2021 LCK Spring Split continues to roll on this season, T1 is looking like a shadow of its former self. The organization sits solidly in the middle of the LCK standings and may not be trying to push for a high placement in the spring.

The team has been cycling in new players left and right, and it may be going through a transitional phase with its old veterans. At the moment, the team has debuted two new rookie players and has cycled in five different substitutes in four different positions over the course of the LCK Spring Split. That number could be set to increase even further in the coming weeks.

T1 started the season with most of its previous starting lineup intact. Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok and Park “Teddy” Jin-seong started as the veterans in a relatively young lineup that had high hopes of making it to Worlds 2021. Now, the team has moved away from starting both players for most of its games, opting to try out young talents like Lee “Gumayusi” Min-hyeong and Lee “Clozer” Ju-hyeon who debuted in 2020 but are only now seeing consistent play. The team has also swapped out its top lane and jungle as well, with Moon “Oner” Hyeon-joon and Choi “Zeus” Woo-je making their debuts over more-tenured T1 players.

The jungle position has seen the most substitutions as Choi “Ellim” El-lim and Moon “Cuzz” Woo-chan were swapping in and out of the lineup before Oner jumped into the pool as well. The only constant in the squad so far has been Ryu “Keria” Min-seok who joined in the 2020 offseason and has no substitute behind him competing for his spot as support.

Why isn’t T1 starting Faker and Teddy?

Much to its fans’ dismay, T1 may be making this split all about bringing up the next generation of T1 talent. For many years T1 was built around legendary mid laner Faker bringing the team to international events. Now, the organization may be planning for its post-Faker existence and giving its younger stars reps under the spotlight.

This idea is even more plausible when considering the coaching staff around the team. T1’s current head coaching duo is Yang “Daeny” Dae-in and Lee “Zefa” Jae-min who were both a big part in DAMWON Gaming’s run to the World Championship title in 2020.

Both coaches are known for bringing up and nurturing young talent, with Jang “Nuguri” Ha-gwon and Heo “ShowMaker” Su growing under their watch. Odds are they were brought in this season to do just that for T1. As the season moves along, expect T1 to try out new combinations of its 10-man roster.

Nicholas James

About Nicholas James

Nicholas James is a gaming writer with a passion for all things geekdom, as well as live theater. Nicholas is best known for covering League of Legends and other top MOBA titles, but his expertise covers numerous games across multiple genres. When not watching the LCS or playing the latest new release, Nicholas can be found doing some tabletop gaming and painting his favorite miniatures. Nicholas has also published with Hotspawn, TheGamer, Dexerto, Esports.gg and other industry outlets.

View full profile

Read Also

Esports Betting

Bet Tips and Predictions For Team Vitality vs MKOI LEC Summer Playoffs Ben Boland The LEC playoffs are well underway, and we have Team Vitality taking on MKOI in a do-or-die series. Lose here, and your chances of qualifying for Worlds 2026 go up in smoke. With Vitality getting dismantled by G2 Esports in their opening series, it begs the question whether it was just the G2 playoffs magic, or Vitality are not the team we thought they were. Let’s take a look at ...

Esports Betting

LCS Playoffs Round 1 Best Bets: Will C9 Falter? Ben Boland The LCS Summer regular season has finally come to a close and six teams will now do battle over the next few weeks with the hope of representing their region at the 2026 League of Legends World Championship. The first round of playoffs is expected to set the tone for what is to be an exciting conclusion to the return of the LCS. Cloud9 and Shopify do battle once again, ...

Esports Betting

The Best LCS Summer Split Week 7 Odds: Upsets On The Horizon? Ben Boland The LoL betting world is in for a treat this weekend as the LCS Summer Split regular season enters its final week. Everything is to play for, from the battle for first place to who starts life in the upper bracket. Esports betting sites are unsurprisingly covering the games extensively, and here my tips to bet on for each LCS match this weekend. This is a series that could go ...

League of Legends

LEC Playoffs Round 1 Betting Tips: G2 vs Vitality & Karmine Corp vs GIANTX Ben Boland The 2026 LEC Summer Playoffs are finally here in the world of LoL betting. After weeks of regular-season action, the battle to get to Worlds 2026 is heating up. Team Vitality, G2 Esports, GiantX, and Karmine Corp start their playoff run in the upper bracket. Both sets of matches have a lot of betting potential, with some decent value to be found. Here are some of the best bets to ...

League of Legends

Caps Hall of Legends skins prices and dates revealed Hannan Mundia Caps is the latest League of Legends player to be inducted into the Hall of Legends, and the LEC player’s dedicated skins have been revealed, including their prices and release dates. The Hall of Legends is Riot Games’ way to honor a handful of the most well-known and celebrated professional players associated with LoL. The first inductee was naturally Faker, while the second was Uzi. The third player is Caps, ...

League of Legends

Five Support Champions To Pick Up in LoL Patch 26.17 Ben Boland The support meta in League of Legends is one of the most highly discussed roles in the game right now. With Riot doubling down on the roaming support playstyle, we will likely see more champions added to the pool around the time of Worlds 2026, which begins on 15 October. At the time of writing this article, the current patch, 26.17, is being tested on the PBE, with the launch ...

League of Legends

These Are Five Top Lane Champions To Pick Up in League of Legends Patch 26.17 Ben Boland League of Legends patch 26.17 is just around the corner, and with that patch comes more changes to the role. The days of ADCs in the lane are starting to be a thing of the past, with more bruisers hitting the gym before the launch of 26.17. Many top laners are receiving buffs on the new patch, while powerhouses such as Nasus and Vayne are on the chopping block, making ...