Season Review 4/?
Next up is Gumayusi, who I think had one of the hardest jobs coming into this year. After winning 3 Worlds in a row with T1 and being Finals MVP last year, moving to a completely new team is not easy, everyone was watching to see if he could do the same without T1 around him. And honestly I think he answered that pretty well, cuz winning MSI in his first year with HLE already says a lot.
What stood out to me the most is how much damage he was still dealing for HLE even when he wasn't the main focus of the draft. Even on weakside, where the resources went to Zeus, Kanavi or Zeka, Guma would still find a way to put out a lot of damage in fights, which I think is underrated cuz most ADCs kind of disappear when they're not the priority. And whenever he was on a hypercarry, Zeus could take the weakside and focus on absorbing pressure, cuz everyone knew if the game went long Guma would be the one to finish it.
I think the biggest thing he brought to HLE though is how well he adapts, and not just in drafts. You can put Guma on basically anything and he will make it work, whether it's Ziggs, MF, Lucian or Caitlyn, he always finds a way to have his impact. His Cait and Ziggs especially stood out to me this year, on Cait he would just bully the lane and take over from there, and on Ziggs he was able to control fights and siege in a way that made it really hard for the enemy to play around him. He also isn't afraid of adding new champs to his pool, like his Kog'Maw which he pulled out this year and did quite well on. But even when he wasn't the one getting the kills, he still had an impact, like in those Ashe games where the enemy team was focusing him the whole fight and the rest of HLE just cleaned up. To me that shows how much the enemy respects him, cuz if they have to put everything into stopping Guma, it opens up so much for his teammates.
If I have to be critical, his Jhin (36.8% WR) wasn't the best this year. I don't think it's all on him cuz it depends on the draft as well, but it's one of those picks where I'd rather see him on champs like Cait or Ziggs where he has a much bigger impact on the game.
When it comes to the individual aspect, I think Guma's mentality is one of his biggest strengths and it helps HLE a lot, especially in crucial situations. He doesn't have to step up with flashy plays every game, and he isn't going to be the one with the highlight moment every series, but he brings way more value in other aspects, like staying calm when things aren't going well and keeping the team together in the big moments. I think HLE benefits from that a lot overall, cuz having someone like that on your team, especially with how much he has already won, makes a big difference when the pressure is on.
Going into Worlds I think he has the most experience out of anyone on HLE when it comes to winning at the biggest stage, and that's something you can't really teach. If he's able to play at the level he showed this year, he has a real chance at winning his 4th Worlds in a row, and doing it with a different team would honestly make it even more special.
macbook declutter for sale :)
serious buyers only - inquire via dm
pls check photos for specs/usage/inclusions
₱2k downpayment required!
mop — bank transfer (payo)
mod — meet up (bgc only)
rt pls 🫶🏻
The AG exhibition games between Team KOR (composed of Zeus, Canyon, Zeka, Gumayusi, and Keria*) and Team USA only lasted around 19 to 20 mins, with Team KOR winning 3-0.
Game 1: Around 20 mins
Game 2: Around 19 mins
Game 3: Around 20 mins again
Insane.
*Faker is not included in today's starter line up.
Gumayusi beat T1 with his iconic Varus and Caitlyn picks against his former support and squad. Say what you will about this series, but that point hits hard. Great MF game too. HLE BO5s just hit different.