A truck has been spotted outside of T1’s headquarters in Seoul demanding the esports team fire League of Legends toplaner Choi ‘Doran’ Hyeon-joon.
The protest comes after T1’s early elimination from MSI following a shock defeat to G2 Esports in the most-watched LoL match this year.
G2’s victory largely came via an inspired performance from Doran’s lane opponent, Sergen ‘BrokenBlade’ Çelik.
And the loss marked the first time that T1 has ever failed to reach the top four at an international event they’ve qualified for.
T1 has high standards, having won the last three LoL World Championships and lifted the trophy a record total of six times.
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T1 Truck Protest
The truck parked outside of T1’s headquarters carried a large LED screen with the message “Doran out” plastered all over it.
It also featured a message, which roughly translated as:
“Doran, who is consistently outclassed by the opposing top laner at MSI, needs to be benched every single time! No contract renewal!!!”
Doran’s current contract expires after Worlds this year on November 16, while the rest of his teammates are contracted until the end of 2028 or 2029.
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A similar truck was outside the T1 HQ a day prior, demanding that Im ‘Tom’ Jae-hyeon and T1’s coaching staff also stand down.
The truck sported multiple messages, including “Don’t blame the players for your own incompetence” and “Stop clinging to your positions with the fans’ money.”
Tom is currently the stand-in T1 head coach as legendary coach Kim ‘kkOma’ Jeong-gyun is on a leave of absence from T1.
T1’s Crazy Fans
T1 fans have become well-known for these incidents, especially after a hate campaign aimed at now Hanwha Life Esports ADC Lee ‘Gumayusi’ Min-hyung.
Last year on T1, Gumayusi had to deal with 15 protest trucks, six electronic LED boards, over 100 insulting banners, and 50 funeral wreaths to ‘curse’ him.
Despite this intense pressure and sitting on the bench for some of the season, Gumayusi went on to earn the MVP award in last year’s LoL Worlds final as he lifted the Summoner’s Cup for a third year running.
Is the hate for Doran justified or was this classic T1 outside of Worlds performance? Share your thoughts with us on the Insider Gaming Discord.
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