T1 bot lane dominates Worlds 2021 group stage, knockouts next?

William Davis Published 19/10/2021

T1’s bot lane of Lee “Gumayusi” Min-hyeong and Ryu “Keria” Min-seok impressed at the 2021 World Championship group stage with high KDA’s and very few deaths. 

Over the course of the six group-stage games, the T1 bot lane managed to top the charts in both KDA and fewest deaths. The great performance puts support Keria at the second-highest KDA of all players going into the playoffs at 14, with bot laner Gumayusi following right behind with the third-highest at 12.3. The only player who managed to pull off a better KDA is DWG KIA mid laner Heo “ShowMaker” Su, who finished at 14.2. T1 will hope that its dynamic pairing can carry that momentum over to the knockouts stage.

The great KDAs from the T1 bot lane are mainly due to the fact that the two only died seven times combined. Gumayusi died three times over the course of six games while Keria experienced death no more than four times. These few deaths speak towards the high level of play T1 showcased as a whole in group B, where it finished with the first seed and a 5-1 record in front of potential tournament favorite EDward Gaming.  

Gumayusi and Keria highlight T1 bot lane dominance

Such stellar play from the T1 bot lane wasn’t necessarily expected going into the tournament, as T1 has been fairly shaky this year while experimenting with its 10-man roster. Luckily, T1 looks to be finding the right shape when it matters most, and it’s clear that fielding Gumayusi as the starting bot laner over veteran Park “Teddy” Jin-seong has been the right choice so far.    

19-year-old bot laner Gumayusi has played the likes of Jhin, Aphelios, and even Ziggs at Worlds 2021. The Ziggs game was the only loss for Gumayusi so far on the international stage, where EDG got the better of the team on the second day of groups. After that, T1 has only improved each game and is looking like a big threat in the quarterfinals with Gumayusi as one of the main carries. 

To enable Gumayusi and the rest of the team to carry, Keria has been the rock for the squad in this tournament. The young support has most showcased his skill on mage supports such as Yuumi and Lulu so far, but has also tried his luck on tankier champions such as Shen. 

Playing enchanter supports seem to be the way for Keria, enabling Gumayusi to be the carry with heals and shields. What makes Keria scarier is the fact that he has almost strictly been playing engage supports during the LCK season, but has shown that the meta shift towards enchanter supports fits him just as well. This makes the champion pool of Keria very scary moving forward as its hard for opposing teams to ban him out in champion selection. 

Gumayusi, Keria, and the rest of T1 will be looking to continue the Worlds 2021 dominance when they face off against Hanwha Life in an all-LCK quarterfinal as knockouts begin on Friday, October 22. 

Read Also

Esports Betting

These Are Our Betting Tips for the League Championship Series Week 4 Ben Boland The 2026 LCS Summer Split is in full swing, with the eight North American squads all vying for a chance to represent the region at this year's World Championship. With Worlds being on home soil, there is more than just a ticket to Worlds at stake. Each series in the regular season carries weight, as the standings will determine their seeding and potentially their fate in the playoffs. Week four ...

League of Legends

Caps To Be Announced As Third Inductee in the LoL Hall of Legends Hannan Mundia After Faker and Uzi were inducted into the Hall of Legends in 2024 and 2025 respectively, the European League of Legends player Caps will be the next to get the same treatment. League of Legends has been a cornerstone in the professional gaming scene for over a decade. In that time, a handful of players have managed to leave their mark for all future fans and fellow players to learn ...

Esports Betting

MLBB is the most-watched game from the EWC, and it’s hard to see another game beating it Michael Hassall The Esports World Cup 2026 has officially passed its midway point and viewership figures for the tournament have surpassed many expectations so far, as per Esports Charts. The viewership tracking site revealed new statistics for the event on Aug. 6, showcasing just how many games had set new records in viewership, including one name leading the way in views: Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. MLBB leads the viewership charts with the ...

League of Legends

LCK 2026 Rounds 3–4 Preview, Schedule, Predictions, and More Hannan Mundia 2026 LCK Rounds 3-4 are slated to start soon, and this preview highlights the schedule, our expert predictions, and everything else you need to know before watching. The LCK has been upside down recently. Teams that were considered absolute powerhouses are seemingly falling off, while previous underdogs have been causing upset after upset. 2026 LCK Rounds 3-4 are starting soon, and the big question here is which team will reign ...

League of Legends

LEC 2026 Summer split preview, schedule, predictions, and more Hannan Mundia The 2026 LEC Summer split will be the deciding split to determine which teams can make it to the World Championship, and this preview aims to highlight everything you need to know about it. It isn’t a stretch to say that the LCK and LCP are the only two competitive League of Legends regions actually pulling their weight currently. The LEC did show potential at the start of the year, ...

League of Legends

How is League of Legends Classic different from the modern version? Hannan Mundia League Classic brings the classic League of Legends gameplay and design from when the game first came out, but how is it different from the modern version? The modern League of Legends mode is arguably in its best state in terms of popularity, with a study even reporting that playing LoL can improve brain function. Over a decade of gameplay and multiple marketing tactics by Riot Games have bumped up ...

League of Legends

Best Champions for every role in League of Legends Classic mode Hannan Mundia League Classic sees the return of League of Legends Season 3, but which champions were deemed the best during that time? League of Legends has gone through a lot of changes since it first came out. While the map and item-related changes naturally impacted the game's state, so did the many champion nerfs, buffs, and reworks. Multiple champions played completely differently in Season 3 than they do now. Since League ...