T1 keeps Worlds roster for 2024 & leaks new team from Canyon

After the dominant win against Weibo Gaming during the League of Legends Worlds Finals on November 19th, it was thought that was it for the current T1 roster. However, it has now been confirmed that the organization has done everything possible to keep the lineup together.

2023 hasn’t exactly started off as the best year for T1 after suffering a heartbreaking loss to DRX at the 2022 Worlds Championship Series, leading to harsh criticism and fans questioning the team’s cohesion. Before the start of Worlds 2023, it was clear that it would be the last year for this T1 roster, but those plans have been scrapped!

T1 roster could stay together next year after all

Although the season got off to a promising start by winning the LCK Spring Split 2023, everything fell apart when Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok had to sit out due to an arm injury and T1 almost missed the LCK playoffs for the first time in five years. Before Worlds 23, many fans and some T1 players weren’t sure what would happen or if they would stay together in 2024. However, T1 released a cryptic teaser yesterday that gives us all hope.

Lee ‘Gumayusi’ Min-hyeong, the star ADC of T1, hinted in an interview in September that it was very likely that the roster would change if T1 didn’t win the Worlds. Now that they’ve won Worlds, the topic has naturally come up again, and the whole community is wondering if the team will stay together after all. However, Sheep Esports’ sources indicate that T1 will extend the contracts of all starting players until 2024.

This is a welcome relief for fans of T1’s top laner Choi ‘Zeus’ Woo-je, ADC Lee ‘Gumayusi’ Min-hyeong and support Ryu ‘Keria’ Min-seok, as their contracts were due to expire at the end of the year. However, details of their contracts have not yet surfaced in the League of Legends Esports global contract database. So until we get an official announcement from T1 or the database is updated, reports of their contract extensions are just speculation.

Incidentally, T1’s iconic Head Coach Kim “kkOma” Jeong-gyun is also returning to the team! He coached the team from 2012 to 2017, when they were still called SKT T1 and won three Worlds trophies. Current coach Im “Tom” Jae-hyeon makes way for him and moves from Head Coach to Coach. Unfortunately, Kim “Roach” Kang-hee has to leave the team.

T1 CEO Joe Marsh leaks Canyon’s new team in Caedrel’s stream

It goes without saying that there are plenty of rumors doing the rounds now as the offseason kicks off, and yesterday T1’s CEO Joe Marsh may have revealed what Kim “Canyon” Geon-bu’s next team is. He came on Caedrel’s stream yesterday and claimed that LCK’s star jungler, Canyon, would be joining Gen.G as Peanut’s replacement.

He wrote in the chat: “I love that Arnold claimed he was poor and then signs Canyon”.
Joe Marsh may have left the chat after making this statement, but it definitely caused a wave of discussion within the community.

Joe marsh leaks gen.g canyon signing on caedrel’s stream
byu/oioioi9537 inleagueoflegends

With this statement he is basically referring to the CEO of Gen.G, Arnold Hur. Of course, as soon as he made this statement, fans picked up on it and the news spread like wildfire.

Until we get official confirmation, we should take all these rumors with a grain of salt, though of course we also wish the T1 roster would stay together!