T1 has fallen into chaos! Internal management conflicts are out in the open, Faker is being treated as a cash cow, and the pressure is mounting.

Hello everyone, LPL viewers and League of Legends summoners, this is the World of Esports.

The S16 season is ongoing, and T1's performance in the first two splits has been average. The third split, which is the most important, is about to begin, and it will largely decide whether T1 can once again explode into title contention at Worlds.

During this period, Korean media have disclosed the situation at T1's club, revealing that they are confronting a serious crisis.

T1 faces a crisis as shareholders are divided.

Recently, Korean media outlet Sports Seoul published an article titled "T1 is actually in a state of 'CEO' vacancy, why is SK Square hesitating to make a decision?" It revealed the severe crisis T1 is currently facing. After Joe Marsh's term ended, the two major shareholders of T1 have disagreed and have been unable to agree on a new CEO.

According to the article, Joe Marsh's term ended as early as October 7 last year, but negotiations between the two major shareholders, SK Square and Comcast, over the next CEO have been delayed. The term was extended through a phased approach, with the final deadline set for June 30 this year.

The final deadline has passed, but the two parties still haven't reached an agreement. This means T1 is currently in a CEO-less state of chaos, just maintaining daily operations.

Previously, Korean media reported that T1's sponsorship operation structure, centered around an American agency, has largely led to disputes over excessive commercial schedules for players. The core conflict between the two shareholders lies here: Comcast focuses more on commercial interests, while SK Square wants to rebalance the ratio between performance and commercial activities, with performance as the core goal.

Faker becomes a cash cow, and the pressure mounts.

Some voices point out that T1's decision-making structure seems overly vague, but its equity structure is clear: SK Square holds 53.13% of the shares, while Comcast holds 34.3%. The core of management rights lies with SK Square, but they still need to reach an agreement with Comcast to appoint a new CEO.

The core crisis T1 faces now is a leadership vacuum. Major decisions cannot be made, and the future direction is uncertain. The entire organization, from management to coaches and players, is under increased pressure and feels lost.

As for daily commercial activities and operations, these are still managed by the American agency behind Joe Marsh.

In response, netizens have commented that Faker has become a cash cow for T1. Under Comcast's management, Faker's commercial schedule is extremely packed, which has already affected his daily training and match performance. With the third split approaching, if a CEO is not appointed soon and T1's chaotic state continues, it will be a huge blow to the entire club, potentially damaging both results and commercial interests.

Facing new difficulties, can T1 create a miracle?

To summarize the current management conflict simply: T1's shareholder SK Square is dissatisfied with some of the commercial operations handled by Comcast. Looking back at T1's decisions over the past few years, it's clear that Comcast prioritizes profits over the team's performance.

The successive departures of Zeus and Gumayusi have already sparked controversy. Faker, as the team's soul, has been assigned more and more commercial activities. Therefore, SK Square wants to restructure T1's management, change the current situation where the team is overly focused on commercial interests, and strive for better results. However, Comcast clearly disagrees, leading to a stalemate between the two parties.

Personally, from the audience's perspective, it's hard to judge which side is right or wrong because the future is unpredictable. You might aim for performance as the core goal, but you may not necessarily achieve results. On the other hand, the commercial aspect is more realistic and does bring in a lot of money.

Moreover, an important point is that T1 has already won three consecutive world championships. Looking at last year's situation, the revenue from T1 winning another title is not as high as imagined. That's why T1 has made consecutive decisions to cut the team's budget.

This year, T1 has encountered new difficulties again: a weaker roster, management disagreements, and a heavy commercial schedule. Under such unfavorable conditions, the biggest question is whether this T1 team can still create a miracle at Worlds. Let's wait and see.